DreamersGN Chapter 296 Today's Work: Zookeeper
Chapter 296 Today's Work: Zookeeper
At 6:30 a.m., Lin Feng woke up in the zoo staff dormitory.
Several lines of glaring red text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Last night, Songxi got out of bed in the early morning and was devoured by white fur; he has been mutated.]
[The white ape in the photo, taken during the Bingchen year mountain-worshiping ceremony, was likely a sacrificial offering for atonement.]
The white ape was a sacred creature; its resentment lingered after death, becoming the source of all pollution.
Only by resolving their grievances can this impasse be broken.
Lin Feng stared at the red text, and the sleepiness in his eyes vanished instantly.
A century-old sacrifice, a wronged spirit, and lingering resentment—this is the source of all the strange occurrences.
He got out of bed and walked to the window, looking out at the quiet park shrouded in morning mist.
To resolve a century-old grudge, it is by no means something that can be accomplished by one person alone.
He needs information, he needs access, he needs to know the deeper secrets of this zoo.
Right now, the most suitable breakthrough point is Tang Xiaofu.
As the deputy director, she must have known some of the inside information.
Judging from her actions in maintaining order in the park, she is not aligned with the source of the pollution.
More importantly... if we can take this opportunity to cooperate with her, we can not only obtain key clues, but also perhaps increase her trust and favor.
........................
When Vassim and I arrived at the cafeteria entrance, they ran into Saori Chiba.
Her face was somewhat pale, but her expression remained relatively calm. Standing there alone, when she saw Lin Feng and the other person, her eyes lit up instantly, as if she had grasped a lifeline.
"Good morning, Chiba," Vassim greeted her first, his gaze unconsciously sweeping around her. "Where's Songsi? Why isn't she with you?"
Chiba Saori pursed her lips, a hint of sadness flashing across her eyes, her fingers curling slightly at her sides.
Lin Feng's expression was calm, his tone carrying the composure honed by his experience in the strange realm:
"In places like this, attrition is the norm. Don't let this affect your future performance; staying alive is the most important thing!"
As Lin Feng entered the cafeteria, his gaze habitually swept over the dining area.
When he saw Dr. Elena sitting alone at a table by the window, he felt a slight sense of relief.
This calm and wise psychology PhD played a key role in solving Tang Xiaorui's problem, and Lin Feng sincerely didn't want anything to happen to her.
Dr. Elena seemed to notice the gaze, looked up, saw Lin Feng and the other two, and immediately waved to them: "Good morning, everyone."
Her voice was calm, but the bluish tinge around her eyes suggested that she probably hadn't slept well last night either.
The three of them put on the mugwort sachets to ward off evil spirits, took a simple breakfast, and sat down at Elena's table.
"How did you sleep last night?" Elena asked Lin Feng.
"It's alright," Lin Feng replied.
Although he was slightly tired, his eyes were clear and his breathing was steady. He looked much more composed than most people who had survived the previous night.
She nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation in her eyes:
"Yesterday's shared dream was extremely mentally taxing, and then the fourth rule of the dormitory was triggered at night... To recover under such circumstances, one needs not only strong mental strength, but also a stable mindset."
The four dined quietly, with brief conversations.
Fortunately, no rules were accidentally triggered—such a peaceful morning was especially precious in this perilous zoo.
After the meal, everyone went to the square outside the administration building to gather and wait for orders.
Upon arriving at the square, Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat once more.
The number of people has visibly decreased.
There were 39 people when we gathered yesterday morning, but today there are only 26 people left in the square.
The survivors stood somewhat apart, their eyes filled with apprehension and deep exhaustion.
Tang Xiaofu appeared on the steps of the administration building right on time.
She was still wearing her crisp uniform, her hair perfectly styled, and her face cool and aloof.
Holding a list in her hand, she glanced at the survivors below and began assigning tasks for the day in a clear but emotionless voice.
"..."
"Lin Feng, Wasim." Her gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment. "Today, you'll be working as zookeepers in the large ungulate herbivore enclosure."
A large herbivore area?
Lin Feng and Vassim exchanged a glance.
This might sound "safer" than facing large predators directly, but in this zoo, anything that "sounds safe" could be hiding a deadly trap.
After assigning tasks, Tang Xiaofu was about to turn and leave when Lin Feng quickly stepped forward and called out to her from the bottom of the steps: "Vice Principal Tang."
Tang Xiaofu stopped and turned to the side, her gaze falling on his face.
"Why didn't I see Xiaorui today?" Lin Feng asked casually.
Tang Xiaofu's expression seemed to soften a bit:
"Oh, she was exhausted yesterday and needs to recover. She's still sleeping, and I didn't have the heart to wake her."
Lin Feng nodded. It seemed that erasing the second personality had placed a heavy burden on Xiao Rui's original consciousness.
He was just about to bring up the white ape when the park's security captain suddenly strode over from the other end of the corridor, looking slightly anxious. Reaching Tang Xiaofu's side, he lowered his voice and reported:
"Deputy Director Tang, there's been a problem at the ape exhibit. The warning tape outside the fence was damaged by an unidentified object, and a security guard reported hearing unusual roars coming from inside the exhibit. I've already had someone keep watch. Please go and take a look and give me some instructions."
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaofu frowned slightly and replied, "I understand." She then took out a black portable walkie-talkie from her uniform pocket and handed it to Lin Feng.
"Here, take this~" she said in a lower voice, "If you encounter an emergency that you can't handle, you can press the red call button on the side to contact me."
This clearly goes beyond the standard staffing levels; it's more like a special permit and guarantee.
Lin Feng immediately accepted it: "Thank you, Vice Director Tang."
He thanked them sincerely and carefully put the gift away.
Tang Xiaofu said no more, nodded slightly to him, and then turned and left quickly.
Shortly after Tang Xiaofu left, a man walked towards Lin Feng and Vassim.
He wore old work clothes stained with brown dirt and dried grass clippings, his skin was an unhealthy bluish-gray, and his build was so sturdy it was almost clumsy.
What's most striking is his eyes—
His cloudy eyeballs seemed unable to stay fixed in their sockets; with each step he took, they were slowly and uncontrollably sliding downwards, almost breaking free of their confinement.
He had no choice but to walk while raising his hand, pinching the eyeball that was about to fall out with his thumb and forefinger, and gently pushing it back in, making a soft "pop" sound.
The process was as smooth as adjusting a pair of glasses that had slipped off.
"New here? Come with me." His voice was rough and dry. "I'm Old Chen."
As he walked, Old Chen mumbled about the work in a dreamlike tone.
He mentioned that the park is mainly divided into four parts, including "Camel Peak Garden", "Horse Garden", "Wild Buffalo Plain" and "Deer Valley".
Feeding should be done at a fixed frequency, and cleaning must be done promptly, especially of feces and leftover feed.
"...Oh, right," Old Chen suddenly remembered something, and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket that looked like it had been torn from a notebook, "Here, these are the rules."
He shoved the paper into Lin Feng's hand, who was standing closest to him, then gouged out one of his own eyeballs, spat on it, and slowly began to wipe it clean...