Super Zoo

The meeting lasted for about an hour, and afterwards, Mr. Song returned to the zoo and informed Suming of both parties' final decision.

They would still follow the original plan and send the river dolphins to the provincial capital.

However, the provincial capital was willing to pay a sum of money, about one hundred thousand yuan, as a reward for the members of the special rescue and protection team who had performed meritoriously—in plain terms, this meritorious member was Suming and the zoo. They were using money to seal their lips.

Besides, after the river dolphins were sent to the protection center in the provincial capital, Yangchuan City Zoo could send staff to the protection center at any time to participate in the study, nurturing, and future wildlife release of the river dolphins.

"They sure are cunning to the extreme, sending people over there is just free labor for them," Mr. Song said, not entirely convinced.

At the negotiation table, Yangchuan City's side had actually gained the upper hand.

Without equipment that could be purchased, having technical personnel like Suming there, and with Shuijun Lake currently serving as a ready-made habitat for the river dolphins—they could simply set aside a part of the reservoir for the river dolphins' habitat if it really came down to it.

But what ultimately settled the matter was a sentence from Mr. Jiang of the provincial capital.

Sending the river dolphins to the protection center was following the rules. Conversely, keeping them in Yangchuan was an exception, a breach of the system. If things turned out fine, then all was well. But should the river dolphins suffer the slightest mishap, everyone would have to bear the responsibility, especially a few leaders on the Yangchuan side.

The 'River Dolphin Ownership' first meeting thus concluded.

One hundred thousand yuan was something neither Suming nor the zoo cared much about. It wasn't that the amount was small, but in comparison to the immense various values of the river dolphin, one hundred thousand was insignificant, hardly worth mentioning. With the river dolphins present, the zoo could see a monthly ticket revenue increase of much more than this amount.

It's like thinking you've found a nugget of gold when in fact, upon appraisal, you discover it's merely a piece of brass. Brass can be sold for a little money, but compared to gold, it's pure trash.

Not only did they fail to reach their goal, but they also stirred up a potential hornet's nest.

After the meeting, in an increased state of 'vigilance' and to prevent any unforeseen issues, Mr. Jiang from the provincial capital immediately phoned the protection center that evening, asking them to send a vehicle to pick up the family of river dolphins.

Early on the third day, a large container truck with a huge water tank drove into the zoo and arrived at the edge of Shuijun Lake.

Professor Chu looked at Suming, scratched the few strands of hair on top of his head with some embarrassment, "This... Su, no matter what, we're all working to protect the river dolphins..."

"Anyway, I think the way the provincial capital is handling this isn't very honorable. Why should all the good things be sent to the provincial capital?"

Suming rolled his eyes, openly expressing his dissatisfaction.
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Within the crowd of onlookers, someone loudly said, "Exactly, it was discovered in Yangchuan City to begin with. Are the residents of the provincial capital the people while our Yangchuan residents are class enemies?"

Once one person spoke up, there was immediately another to support the statement, "Why should you provincial capital folks get all the benefits?"

"Pure hegemonism, it's bullying!"

Apart from the public, reporters from several media outlets received the news overnight and arrived at the zoo early in the morning, setting up their cameras and capturing the scene of the river dolphin transport.

"Su, it's not something that can be explained clearly in a sentence or two, I just hope you can understand," Professor Chu said with a wry smile before gesturing to his students and shouting, "Load the river dolphins into the truck, be careful!"

The three river dolphins were wrapped in waterproof fabric. The container truck extended a mechanical arm and lifted each of the three dolphins into the large water tank at the back.

After entering the water tank, the river dolphins swam around in a daze for a moment. Seeing Suming through the transparent glass of the tank, all three approached his direction, waving their fins frantically at him through the glass.

"You guys need to behave yourselves from now on." Suming extended a hand and pressed it against the glass.

The river dolphins, oblivious to what was happening, saw Suming reaching out. The largest dolphin used its round head to nudge against the glass towards Suming's hand.

"All right, let's go!" Professor Chu said.

The container truck slowly started moving. Suming followed for a couple of steps, and it was only then that the river dolphins, watching Suming getting further away, realized he wasn't going with them.

The two young river dolphins immediately began crying out anxiously and stood up, trying to squeeze their small heads through the lid and edge of the water tank.

But compared to the narrow gap, their heads were simply too big to fit through!

The adult river dolphin looked towards Suming and swam back and forth anxiously, continuously hitting the glass tank with its head and tail, creating loud thudding noises and causing water to splash everywhere.

Seeing this, the container truck had to stop, and a group of journalists and Suming hurriedly caught up to the truck.

"What's going on?" Professor Chu asked with a frown.

"Isn't it obvious? These river dolphins can't bear to part with their owner!" Nangong Yan exclaimed loudly.

"Look, the river dolphins are crying!"

All three river dolphins stood upright in the water tank, like tiny prisoners, piteously leaning on the clear glass, their fins repeatedly slapping against it, as they looked at Suming with small eyes that shed clear tears, like streams of spring water.

At this sight, many people fell silent.

Professor Chu felt a bit of a sting in his nose; he clearly remembered that many years ago, they had rescued a river dolphin that had been injured by a fishing boat. That dolphin, just like today, shed tears before it died.

"Mommy, they are all bad people... the river dolphins are so pitiful..." came a young girl's voice from the crowd, quivering with sobs.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, "We can't let them take the river dolphins away, the river dolphins belong to Yangchuan City!"

"Protect our river dolphins!"

And that was it, the onlooking crowd surged forward, forming a human wall around the container truck, determined not to let it leave.

"What are you doing!"

Professor Chu glared fiercely at Suming before standing on the truck and yelling to the crowd, "This is the government's decision, not something any one person can change. Sending the river dolphins to the conservation center is for their own good! Comrades, please understand!"

The crowd was not buying it.

"Understand my ass!"

"We'll understand if you leave them here!"

Professor Chu was between a rock and a hard place and hopped off the truck to pull Suming aside and whispered, "Su, don't cause trouble unnecessarily. If this turns into a mass incident, neither of us can afford it!"

"Professor Chu, it's not like I instigated this, I can't afford anything!" Suming said, and indeed this wasn't something he had caused; Friends of the Animals wasn't powerful enough to manipulate people to this extent.

"Get Song here. If we have to call the police to resolve this, it won't look good for anyone," Professor Chu turned and ordered a student.

Mr. Song, the zoo director, soon rushed over and, though reluctant, patiently persuaded the surrounding crowd.

After more than an hour of commotion, even the local police had arrived and spent a long time trying to persuade the crowd, who finally gave way to let the container truck restart and slowly make its way out.

This time, it hadn't gone ten meters when a loud 'bang' came from inside the water tank!