The weather cleared up, and the number of tourists coming to check in at Li Family Village swelled again. Many of them even drove from the provincial capital, or from the neighboring province.
Recently, another hot topic about Li Family Village had exploded online: the animals here were all especially Spiritual.
Rumor had it that a troublemaker had come by and was dealt with by a coalition of animals.
The story was spreading with vivid detail, but many people didnât believe it.
Someone said, "The story came from the police station. It was in the unfortunate guyâs testimony. He swore up and down, insisting that the animals ganged up to frame him."
"You can believe something like that? The guyâs just trying to get out of trouble. Think about it, assaulting a national treasure and a Class II protected red fox... thatâs a sentence of up to five years. Of course heâs going to spout whatever nonsense he can think of."
"Thatâs why the police didnât believe him and started processing the case. That guyâs life is tragic. Itâs estimated heâll be locked up for at least five years. Plus, both his legs are broken and he has no money for treatment. The doctors just went with the cheapest option, conservative treatment. Heâll probably have a limp for the rest of his life."
"The guy just got out after doing more than ten years in prison and immediately started causing trouble. All you can say is that pitiful people have their detestable sides. Serves him right!"
"But the giant panda there really is especially smart, more Spiritual than the ones in other zoos."
"If thatâs the case, I have to take my kids to see it."
...
Seeing is believing. After people came, they discovered the pandas here really were very Spiritual. This was especially true for Tuantuan. Even though he was a wild panda, he actually interacted with the tourists and was incredibly cute and gentle.
One tourist said, "How could such an adorable baby panda possibly frame someone? That guy was just spewing bullshit."
Another tourist was skeptical, "Is this really a wild giant panda, and not one trained by a zoo? You know, like in a circus, where they whip them if they donât obey and do whatâs required, and give them treats when they get it right."
"Holy crap, what are you talking about? Who would dare to train a giant panda? You go try whipping one and see what happens. Thatâs a five-year sentence, minimum. An expert team came and investigated, and they confirmed itâs definitely wild."
"How do you know?"
"It was in the news before. The TV station did a special report. Besides, all previously discovered giant pandas in zoos or conservation areas have serial numbers and files. They test their DNA from fecal samples to create a unique profile. This panda wasnât in the archives, so tell me, is it wild or not?"
"Oh, I see. National treasures really get the VIP treatment."
"Of course. Weâre the only country in the world that has them."
Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou also drove over to show their support. They didnât come alone, either. They had gathered a group of friends, more than twenty men and women in total. Naturally, anyone who could hang out with them came from a well-off family.
They were all handsome men and beautiful women, driving luxury cars. The group was incredibly eye-catching.
Their presence also boosted the attractionâs popularity.
Everyone had the same thought: âLook, even rich people like them are coming to visit. It just goes to show how famous and popular this place is.â
Li Xiang, of course, hosted them the entire time. Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou had made progress in their Cultivation. Xu Xuanâs main reason for visiting was to discuss the Jade Merchant Houseâs directly-operated stores with Li Xiang. This time, he also brought two store managers to meet him.
Two stores in the provincial capital were already being renovated, just waiting for Li Xiang to start supplying them.
Li Xiang created a small group chat, adding Xu Xuan, Zhang Youyou, the two store managers, and a few managers from the Ruili side. Li Xiangâs Little Aunt was naturally among them.
Afterward, the group went to the National Style Tavern for drinks and were immediately captivated by Yao Yaoâs dancing.
Li Xiangâs National Style Tavern was, of course, a legitimate establishment, not one that skirted the edges of propriety.
But even without any shady business, with Yao Yaoâs innate foxy charm and wild abandon, any dance she performed was mesmerizing.
It went without saying for the men, but even Zhang Youyou and the other girls were captivated. She was a heart-stopper for men and women alike.
"What? You can request a performance, and thereâs an interactive part? Only for women?" When Zhang Youyou heard the young waitressâs explanation, her interest was instantly piqued. "Iâll request one!"
The special request performance cost 688 yuan per person, and Zhang Youyou immediately ordered one.
Suddenly, the tavern erupted in a frenzy of activity, filled with the shrieks of the girls. The men, on the other hand, were pushed to the back.
The highlight was when Yao Yao performed a super-interactive move. With a rose held in her teeth, she danced Zhang Youyou into a corner. Then, she executed a "leg kabe-don," a famous scene from the romantic comedy *Paris Vacation*, where she stretched out one leg and "pinned" it against the otherâs shoulder.
This kind of move was generally only suitable for women, as it tended to look rather creepy when men did it. This was also one of the reasons why the interactive performance at the National Style Tavern was limited to female customers.
Another reason was that this was a legitimate establishment, and Yao Yao would not interact with male customers in that way.
âI have to keep myself pure for Li Xiang. How could I do something that would make him misunderstand?â
But "interacting" with women was no problem. It was even a chance to show off her charm and let Li Xiang see her captivating allure.
"Whoa~ sheâs such a flirt! So bewitching."
As Yao Yao pinned Zhang Youyou to the wall with her shapely leg, the girls all shrieked and cheered, and many even took out their phones to record it.
At the back of the crowd, Xu Xuan, holding a glass of red wine, gently clinked it against Li Xiangâs. "This girl of yours really knows how to have fun," he said. "You two donât get up to this kind of stuff in private, do you?"
Li Xiang waved his hand. "No, definitely not."
"Haha. I get it!" Xu Xuan laughed.
Li Xiang: "..." âItâs impossible to explain. Forget it.â
After that, a few more girls requested the performance. At 688 yuan a person, it was safe to say it wasnât a price just anyone could afford.
Ever since Yao Yao launched this performance, today had the most requests yet.
However, after seven or eight performances, Yao Yao had to call it a day. She was mainly running out of stamina and couldnât keep dancing. She hadnât expected so many people to request it today.
What Yao Yao hadnât expected was that many people had recorded videos of her famous "leg kabe-don" move on the other women and spread them online. It became one of the locationâs unique highlights, and many women wanted to come and experience it for themselves.
This left the men very confused. If it were them wanting to experience it, that would make sense, but why did women want to go too?
Unfortunately, the interactive dance was limited to women only. Men were not accepted, much to their disappointment.
When no one else was around, Yao Yao sidled up to Li Xiang, her bewitching eyes full of charm. "Brother, want to experience the feeling of a leg kabe-don?"
Li Xiang laughed, stood up, and proactively moved to the wall. "Come on, then. Give it a try."
Yao Yao was instantly excited. âBrotherâs finally getting it today! Watch me.â
But when she ran over and lifted her shapely leg... she gestured with it for a moment and, holy crap, was dumbfounded.
"Brother, could you get a little lower?"
Li Xiang: "What, should I squat? Does that ever happen during a kabe-don?"
"Brother, donât be such a bully." Yao Yao could only retract her shapely leg resentfully.
Behind them, Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui had appeared at some point. The two of them had seen the entire scene unfold and could no longer hold back. They were doubled over, laughing so hard their stomachs hurt.
Zhao Xueqing said, "Some people have short legs and still try to kabe-don a handsome guy! Now, if it were Xiaohui, maybe itâd be a different story."
Lei Xiaohui brought over a chair. "Sister Yao, stand on this and try again. Itâll work for sure this time!"
"Hmph, Iâm not playing with you guys anymore! Iâm going back to work!" Yao Yao rolled her eyes and fled.
However, Yao Yao had a very cheerful personality and didnât take it to heart. She was back to laughing and joking in no time.
Li Xiang had a meeting with the three women to discuss the construction plans for the employee dormitory.
Zhao Xueqing had been in charge of this matter. The construction company had already provided plans and a quote. The women had discussed it among themselves, and this was the third revised proposal, which they were ready to finalize. But since Li Xiang was the boss, it needed his review.
Zhao Xueqing led the presentation, projecting it in the meeting room, with Yao Yao and Lei Xiaohui adding supplementary points.
After listening attentively, Li Xiang said, "I have no objections. It looks good. As long as you all think itâs good, thatâs what matters."
"What about the quote?" Zhao Xueqing asked.
The construction companyâs quote was 600,000 yuan, but after some negotiation, Zhao Xueqing and the others had talked them down to 450,000. She had mentioned this during the presentation, but since Li Xiang hadnât commented, Zhao Xueqing wanted to confirm it again.
"The quote is fine," Li Xiang said. "Go ahead and draw up the contract. Weâll pay in three installments, just like before."
The three women exchanged a look, overjoyed. After all, where could you find a boss as easygoing as Li Xiang? Any other boss would have hemmed and hawed, nitpicking every little thing.
Then, they discussed the itinerary for the ten-day trip to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, which everyone was eagerly looking forward to.
...
The 1.09 million yuan robot dog that Li Xiang had ordered arrived. After unboxing it, Li Xiang operated it in the backyard for a bit. It was truly awesome. If Jiang CaiâEr were the one controlling it, it would probably be even more responsive, like an extension of her own arm.
Naturally, the civilian model of this robot dog didnât come equipped with weapons, not that they were needed in the country anyway.
In any case, it was just for Jiang CaiâEr to practice with. This was only an "experimental model."
In the future, when he bought a new one, weapons could be installed anytime.
Even without weapons, Jiang CaiâEr could probably control the robot dog to perform a Fist Technique. With its body of gold and steel, it would be crazy painful if it hit someone. No, it would be enough to kill.
But Li Xiang couldnât do that.
The Little Fox, Er Huang, the kitten, the little goose, and the big rooster all gathered around curiously. The petsâ eyes were filled with wonder. âWhat in the world is this thing?â they thought.