Chapter 118

Ling Yue hadn't even entered yet, but her sharp hearing already picked up the noisy sounds, as if there were protests.

She walked in; aside from the staff, no one recognized her as the director of the Capital Zoo, so Ling Yue moved through smoothly—but the smoother she went, the closer she got to the core area, the more she could hear the visitors' protests.

"You guys are so heartless, daring to put up such a lion? It's so thin and small—did you skim off our ticket money?"

"I'm going to post the video online so everyone can see how the Capital Zoo is mistreating animals!"

"Oh dear, I just went to the Bear House, and there were two brown bears skinny as sticks—so pitiful."

Many people held up their phones to film; Ling Yue searched several times and finally saw Yuan Yuan's head. The little girl, anxious and sweating profusely, shouted: "Stay calm, listen to our explanation!"

"I won't listen, I won't listen! You're definitely abusing the animals—what's there to explain? Anyone with eyes can see it!"

"If nobody had reminded me, I still wouldn't know by now—I came here for the kung fu panda, but you can't treat the other animals like they aren't animals!"

"Where's the director? Where is your director?"

Ling Yue furrowed her brow, grabbed the speaker from the duty room, stood up on a chair, and said: "I am the zoo director."

The zoo staff who had been futilely explaining stared at her in shock; clamorously, the indignant visitors gathered around, and amid their chatter, Ling Yue finally figured things out.

"Do you think our zoo is abusing animals?" Ling Yue said, her sharp gaze sweeping the crowd; she wouldn't assume this was just a simple disturbance.

The zoo does have a batch of weak animals, but those are the ones she took in from the circus; their thinness is due to long-term training abuse, not anything the zoo did.

As for why they were doing this, Ling Yue was initially puzzled, but seeing the endless crowds, she suddenly realized that her zoo really does draw a lot of visitors.

But now down below it's all protesting voices, and some visitors were dragged in for no reason, utterly confused.

"Isn't that the case? Otherwise, how could your animals be so thin?"

"I even saw a sheep in the Monkey Garden—this management is terrible!"

Ling Yue blinked, then realized: that goat is a good friend of the monkey Man Man; it actually asked to be with Man Man.

As for clearing up these abuse allegations, for Ling Yue the method is as simple as it gets.

She raised the speaker: "I can guarantee that the zoo has never abused any animal; they're thin because these are all the animals I brought back from the circus."

She was standing right opposite the Tiger and Lion Gardens; hearing this, the lioness Lili stood up, shook her mane—it was Ling Yue!

Their great benefactor who helped them!

It let out a few low growls, and the three tiger brothers next door in the Tiger Garden glanced over.

Ling Yue blinked, tilted her head slightly, and smiled; the lioness Lili lay at the edge watching her, deliberately showing off her strong waist.

Compared to before, it had gotten several rounds fatter.

The zoo certainly hasn't abused them; the director is a wonderful person, and she's helped them.

Ling Yue produced the special approval certificate from the police, clearly and concisely proving the whole story; the protesters who had just been demonstrating were all stunned.

"The circus's performing animals?"

Ling Yue gave a hint: "The animals that escaped from the circus not long ago—don't you remember?"

At that, many people suddenly recalled it—forget? Anyone who experienced it knows it's absolutely impossible.

Among the visitors, some who had seen that day's circus performance heard Ling Yue's words and instantly broke into a cold sweat.

"No way? Could these really be the circus's animals?"

The staff looked up at her; Ling Yue swept aside all opposition, and in just a few words from her, even the matters they couldn't control ceased to be issues.

Then, suddenly, a pattering of footsteps came.

The Monkey Mountain keeper came running: "Director, the monkeys, the monkeys riding a sheep have run away!"

Ling Yue: "……"

The visitors who heard his voice: "……"

No need to say it; we've all seen it.

A monkey riding a ram was running toward them; wherever it passed, visitors made way, staring in shock and curiosity as the monkey swaggered through the crowd.

Man Man the monkey bounced up and down, letting out excited cries: "Woohoo, you're finally back—I thought I'd never see you again!"

Ling Yue looked at it, opened her arms, and the clean little monkey jumped down from the sheep, snuggling into her embrace like a baby.

Man Man's big, round eyes looked around, melting everyone's cute hearts.

Such an affectionate gesture instantly shattered the earlier rumors—could this be abuse? If it were abuse, would the little animals be so close to the director?

The person who had been shouting the loudest earlier now felt a burning pain on their face.

"It's all the auntie's fault; the auntie herself was duped!"

"Me too—someone told me that, look at my short temper."

The farce ended completely not long after, leaving those lurking in the dark filled with resentment.

Just as she was about to leave with the crowd, someone suddenly grabbed her collar; the regretful auntie from earlier, her eyes now sharper than knives, yelled at the top of her lungs: "It's him, it's him!"

The visitors who were about to disperse swarmed over all at once; the furious auntie shouted and gestured: "It's him! Even if he turned to ash I'd recognize him—just now I was bringing my little grandson to see the little monkey, when he suddenly popped out and told me how your zoo abuses animals, scaring my grandson into tears."

In that instant, everyone's eyes fell on the thin man, and several people stood up to report him.

Yuan Yuan was fuming—it was him, making everyone miserable!

She wanted to speak, but heard the director say: "Call the police, send him to the police station."

Her decisive, no-nonsense manner instantly won people's goodwill.

The man instantly panicked: "What are you doing? You can't do this—I haven't broken any law!"

What a fellow—indeed he came prepared.

Ling Yue gazed deeply at the man's face.

Her sharp gaze made the man's chest tighten; the protest he was about to utter got swallowed down, he gave a little shake, and in an instant it felt as if she had seen through everything.

But how could this be possible!

How could it not be possible!

Ling Yue toyed with his fate line; as she expected, this man was a street loafer, a petty thug, idling away his days.

It's exactly because of this that he was singled out.

On the street corner, Ling Yue saw a faceless man; the thin man looked at the money transferred from the card and grinned, assuring: "Boss Zhuo, rest easy, I'll definitely handle this beautifully."

As Ling Yue had expected, it was indeed instigation.

The man in a black overcoat, bundled up tightly, nodded and said in a lowered voice: "I don't believe what you say; show me."

The little thug nodded and bowed to him.

Ling Yue thought this was the end, but she didn't expect this guy to have ulterior motives, following the man all the way, stopping and going, and yet not being noticed.

After following him all the way, they finally reached the destination; Ling Yue saw the sign above: West Mountain Zoo.

The scene cut off here; Ling Yue had already guessed it—birds of a feather flock together, and as for evidence, some things don't need proof.

Just as the other side hired people to slander their zoo. Compared to the well‑known West Mountain Zoo, the Capital Zoo hardly had any reputation; it was only after Ling Yue took over and gradually adjusted that it gained its current fame.

Ling Yue gathered her composure and looked at the trembling man: "Is it really not illegal? You took money to slander our zoo—is it truly just a misunderstanding, just an unintentional mistake?"

The man visibly panicked, stubbornly retorting: "What slander? This is just a misunderstanding!"

Ling Yue: "Wait until you get to the police station to explain—whether it's a misunderstanding or Boss Zhuo's instigation!"

The man was utterly terrified, looking at her in fear: "You… you know everything?!" Otherwise, how would she even know his name?

Ling Yue stared coldly at him, not uttering West Mountain Zoo; she had a premonition that they would surely meet again sooner or later.

After sending the man to the police station, Ling Yue had staff hand out small gifts to calm the restless visitors; once the visitors dispersed, she finally had time to look at the circus animals.

Manman had already returned to Monkey Mountain; it and the goat were inseparable friends.

However, because of its special behavior, the monkeys on Monkey Mountain actually didn't accept it much—not only because it had joined later, but also because it was too individualistic.

As a monkey, it was inseparable from the goat—yet they didn't realize they were lifelong friends.

The only one willing to approach Manman was probably the oldest monkey, who held a mischievous little monkey, its big, watery eyes gazing at Manman.

The little monkey looked enviously at Manman riding the goat: "Brother Manman, can I ride on Brother Goat's back?"

Hearing the little monkey's childish voice, Manman couldn't help but turn: "You should ask Brother Goat."

Applause sounded like splashing water around the venue; it instinctively stood on the goat's back and did a handstand.

Seeing its animal and the visitors stunned, Manman finally realized this was no longer the circus—it was its new home.

Not only it; other animals also have aftereffects, because from childhood they've endured the harshest training, and rigid memories have been etched into their bones.

On the nearby Monkey Mountain, the other monkeys watched this scene, stunned: "Wow, Brother is so awesome!"

The old monkey held the little one: "Do you want to learn?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, the old monkey sighed: "Then do you know how much suffering Brother Manman has endured?"

It was that old monkey who had seen big scenes, expelled from the troop when old, unable to survive, picked up and sent to the zoo.

Compared to an ordinary monkey, its experience is far richer.

Just a few words frightened the little monkey, which shook its head repeatedly, saying: "I won't learn, I won't learn—I don't want to learn!"

Some visitors watching Manman's performance wondered: "When did the Capital Zoo start having animal shows?"

The person beside them replied: "No."

"I get it—this monkey must be from the circus the director mentioned earlier, so it can do tricks."

"I've heard monkeys are trained from childhood; when we clapped just now, it did a handstand—is that a conditioned reflex?"

"This must be a stereotypical behavior—how awful."

Manman listened to the humans' discussion, cautiously lowering its body; it lay on the goat's back, hugging its neck: "I… I didn't mean to perform just now."

The goat nodded: "I know—we've left the circus, we're at the zoo now; no one will force you to perform, Manman。" ：，.