Chapter 18: The Picky "Gourmet

’It seems the psychological well-being of animals is a matter of pressing concern!’

’Then again, it’s understandable when you think about it.’

’All intelligent life has its moments of frustration.’

’It’s just that animals can’t speak...’

’No, that’s not right. To be precise, humans can’t understand the languages animals use with each other.’

’With no way to communicate, it’s inevitable they’d get depressed.’

Last time, the Red Fox, Tongtong, was melancholic because she wanted to get out of her enclosure for a walk.

’So what’s the reason for the red panda, Tutu, this time?’

Filled with curiosity, Yang Qi approached the red panda.

Tutu, who was lying down, sensed someone approaching. Its ears twitched instinctively, its small body tensed slightly, and it subconsciously prepared to scramble up and flee to a farther corner.

But as soon as it turned its head and saw it was Yang Qi, its escape attempt halted mid-motion.

Its small, beady black eyes lingered on Yang Qi for a few seconds, as if sensing something. Then, it lazily flopped back down, even wriggling its body to find a more comfortable position. It completely ignored Yang Qi, who was right beside it. Finally, it listlessly closed its eyes, the very picture of someone who had given up on life.

"Hey, Tutu. How’re you doing?"

Yang Qi stopped in front of it and greeted it softly, "My name is Yang Qi. I’m new here. What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick? Or is today’s food not to your liking?"

The red panda remained unresponsive, not even lifting an eyelid.

Yang Qi wasn’t discouraged. He patiently continued trying to get it to open up.

’Only if it opens up will I know what it’s really thinking.’

This scene did not go unnoticed by the group of people standing outside the enclosure.

Zookeeper Xiaowang’s face was full of amazement. "That’s strange. Tutu is usually very timid. It would’ve vanished the moment someone got close. Why is today so different...?"

Qian Yu crossed her arms, her eyes filled with admiration. "If I remember correctly, red pandas are naturally timid and run away from people. But this one isn’t afraid of Yang Qi. He really lives up to the name ’Brother Qi’."

"Yeah, he’s even won over a red panda."

Ye Haibing nodded vigorously. "I’d say Brother Qi’s title as the ’Druid’ is now set in stone!"

Cheng Yao also nodded in agreement. "Yang Qi certainly deserves that title."

As she spoke, she looked curiously at Qian Yu and the others. "Are you Yang Qi’s friends?"

"Yes, we were all his classmates in university. We’re old friends," Qian Yu replied with a smile and a nod.

"Nice to meet you all. I’m Cheng Yao, from the Zoo’s marketing department," Cheng Yao introduced herself with poise.

Qian Yu, Song Wan, and Ye Haibing introduced themselves in turn.

When it was Gao Zhenyue’s turn, after introducing himself, his eyes darted about for a moment. He cleared his throat and said, "So, uh, Cheng Yao, about our Brother Qi... don’t let his current situation fool you. Back in school, his grades were..."

He gave a big thumbs-up. "...this good! And though his family background is just average, Brother Qi is a super reliable and capable guy! Look at him now, showing off this ’Druid’ talent of his. He’s deeply valued by your bosses. His future is definitely going to be limitless..."

Blah, blah, blah.

Gao Zhenyue rattled on, listing all of Yang Qi’s good qualities.

Cheng Yao was a bit confused at first, but she quickly caught on. She couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter, cutting him off. "Um, Gao Tongxue, thanks for the sales pitch. But I have a boyfriend."

"Uh..."

Gao Zhenyue’s pitch fizzled out instantly, the expression frozen on his face.

SMACK!

Ye Haibing slapped him on the shoulder, annoyed. "Stop trying to play matchmaker! Just be quiet and watch Brother Qi work his magic."

...

「Inside the enclosure.」

Yang Qi, oblivious to the little drama playing out behind him, was still relentlessly trying to communicate with Tutu.

Under the combined influence of his patience and his [Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity], the red panda that had been playing dead finally showed a reaction.

First, it moved its head ever so slightly. Then, a few nearly inaudible whimpers, tinged with grievance and complaint, escaped its throat.

[Don’t wanna eat.]

[Want something else.]

[Want yummy food.]

The messages weren’t exactly clear, but combined with the little fella’s disdainful look, it only took Yang Qi a moment to figure it out.

The little guy was sick of its daily "work meal" and wanted a change of pace—something new and delicious!

In the wild, a red panda’s diet is actually quite rich, consisting of various wild fruits, tender leaves, mushrooms, bird eggs, and even small insects.

In the Zoo, however, the menu is relatively fixed to ensure proper nutrition and safety. And while the diet was balanced, the day-in, day-out regimen of apples, carrots, bamboo leaves, and dry nutritional pellets was undoubtedly monotonous for a red panda that clearly had the makings of a little "gourmand."

Having found the root of the problem, Yang Qi’s mind was made up. He turned and walked out of the enclosure.

Xiaowang, Cheng Yao, and the group of four friends who were waiting outside immediately crowded around him.

"So? Did you figure out what’s wrong?" Cheng Yao asked first, her phone still raised, clearly unwilling to miss any good footage.

"The problem seems to be the food, as I thought," Yang Qi replied.

"That’s impossible!"

Xiaowang quickly explained, "I brought the freshest apples and bamboo leaves!"

"I’m sure the food is fresh; I don’t doubt that."

Yang Qi looked at him and countered, "But have you ever tried giving it different types of food? Other kinds of fruit, for instance?"

"Well..."

Xiaowang was taken aback. He’d honestly never considered it; he had always just followed the procedures in the zookeeper’s manual.

Yang Qi glanced at the unvarying contents of the food bowl in the enclosure and suggested, "Go get some strawberries. I think I remember seeing some in the storeroom."

"Huh? Strawberries? Oh! Okay, right!"

Xiaowang agreed subconsciously while still in a daze. A moment later, he snapped to his senses, turned and ran to a nearby electric cart, and sped off toward the storeroom.

"So, you’re saying this red panda just got sick of eating apples and bamboo leaves?" Gao Zhenyue asked, stroking his chin.

"That’s more or less it," Yang Qi said, not wanting to sound overly certain.

"I’m sure that’s the reason!"

Cheng Yao, on the other hand, sounded completely convinced. She could already imagine how popular a video based on the story "Picky Red Panda’s Secret Exposed by New Zookeeper" would be.

"Let’s wait for the strawberries and see what happens," Yang Qi said with a smile, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

They didn’t have to wait long before they saw Xiaowang hurrying back on the electric cart, holding up a carton of bright, luscious-looking strawberries.

Yang Qi took the strawberries and went back into the enclosure.

The moment he drew near with the strawberries, Tutu, who had been lying motionless, began to twitch its nostrils furiously. Its little head shot up, its bright black eyes glued to Yang Qi’s hand.

When Yang Qi held two plump strawberries out to it, the little creature immediately let out a happy chirp.

It was no longer the listless whimper from before but a sound of clear delight. It reached out with its two tiny paws, carefully took the strawberries, and began nibbling at them eagerly.

It ate with great relish, its tail wagging happily.

At almost the exact same moment that Tutu began to eat happily—

[Task Complete]

[Reward: Bear’s Strength]

’Bear’s Strength?’