Perhaps Duan Jiaze's prayers were heard by the heavens. After two days, he really did manage to hire a suitable employee.

When Duan Jiaze answered the phone, the other person's voice sounded very kind. He was said to be forty-one years old, named Xu Chenggong, and had recently lost his job. He used to be a security guard with no other special skills, but he often helped with things like changing light bulbs or fixing circuits. He considered himself quite meticulous and capable of handling the job.

Duan Jiaze had already given up hope of hiring a professional. After meeting the man, he discovered that this big brother Xu Chenggong's appearance didn't match his voice at all.

His voice was kind and gentle, but he looked vicious and menacing. He didn't have any flashy things like scars, but he just looked like a bad guy...

Xu Chenggong took the initiative to explain, "Those of us who work as security guards have to look intimidating. It just makes it hard to find a partner." He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Who wouldn't hide when they see me? That's why I'm still single."

The company he worked for recently went bankrupt, so he had to look for a job again. Like Xiao Su and Liu Bin, he had no family and used to live in the company dormitory, so the location of the job didn't matter to him.

Normally, if it were in the past, Duan Jiaze definitely wouldn't want to hire an employee with such a fierce appearance. However, the recent incident of the villagers' poisoning attempt made him think that hiring someone like Xu Chenggong wouldn't be a bad idea. Besides, he was in a hurry now; he'd hire him first to complete the mission.

So, Duan Jiaze had a more detailed chat with Xu Chenggong, and after confirming there were no problems in any aspect, they signed the contract.

After that, he introduced Xu Chenggong to Xiao Su and Liu Bin. Since Xu Chenggong was more than ten years older than them, they all called him Brother Xu. Although Xu Chenggong looked rather fierce, he had a very good temper and was steady, which made Duan Jiaze more and more satisfied the longer he looked.

Turning around, Duan Jiaze said with satisfaction to Luya, "With Brother Xu around now, our zoo's security will be greatly improved. Look, isn't he so intimidating!"

Luya sneered, "Are you implying that this Venerable One is less intimidating than him?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Duan Jiaze said earnestly, "Daoist Lord, please don't be offended by what I'm about to say, but due to the ideological gap between our two realms, you really aren't as intimidating as him among us humans. You can basically only serve a defensive and counter-attack role. If you revealed your true form, most people would want to eat you. If you're in your human form, not only do you lack intimidation, but you'd also easily become a target..."

Luya: "..."

This was the absolute truth. Did those villagers stop causing trouble just because Luya was handsome? And Luya couldn't just go around breathing fire at people. That would certainly be intimidating, but it wouldn't be long before he was brought under government control.

Luya was speechless. He really couldn't refute it, nor could he solve the problem. Their avian species, especially the males, went for the flamboyant and gorgeous style. He couldn't control himself to become uglier!

......

After signing the contract with Xu Chenggong, Duan Jiaze checked his phone. The mission was indeed complete, and he could claim two rewards. The feed would be automatically queued. As for the upgrade and renovation of the zoo's enclosures, it showed a three-day upgrade period after claiming.

Duan Jiaze first went to tell his three employees that they would have a holiday for renovations. Only after they left did he cover the main gate tightly before clicking 'claim'. He didn't know what kind of upgrade this would be and was afraid it would be too high-tech and be seen by outsiders.

But Duan Jiaze had worried for nothing. After he clicked 'claim', there was no black technology of new enclosures rising from the ground. Instead, after half an hour, a construction crew of at least several hundred people arrived in a rush, saying they were here to set up the new enclosures for him according to the contract.

Duan Jiaze observed them for a moment and confirmed they were real humans. None of the construction crew were locals, and he had no idea how they had arrived in half an hour. It must have been the System's doing.

Their movements were swift and professional, and they immediately got busy at an incredible speed. They changed the entire layout of the zoo, reallocating space more scientifically and rationally, dismantling the old enclosures, installing new ones, making use of the previously deserted open spaces, and even digging a new fish pond...

The overall style was ecological and natural, echoing the Cape Mountain behind it. Even the exhibition route was designed. As more animals were added in the future, it would look even more orderly.

Compared to before, the new enclosures were like heaven and earth.

The old ones were just slightly larger cages. These new enclosures used a large amount of tempered, laminated, multi-layered glass walls in the indoor exhibition area, providing good lighting and ventilation. The entrances and exits were all replaced with fully mechanical ones, and there was drinking equipment. A large number of green plants were transplanted as decoration, creating a rich ecological atmosphere.

The outdoor exhibition areas were also diverse, designed according to the characteristics of different animal species, with varying heights. Some were roofed, others were open-air.

According to the animals' needs, various clever designs were implemented within the limited space, allowing the animals to have places to hide. This type of design was very useful for the animals.

All sorts of facilities for disinfection, drinking, bathing, and so on, were all included.

There were also rest facilities outside the enclosures; surveillance cameras were installed, and zookeepers' workrooms, rest areas, etc., were set up.

In addition, signs were erected in each exhibition area with animal introductions and a QR code. Scanning it would lead to a website where one could click for a voice commentary. This was also done in consideration of the zoo's staffing shortage.

Duan Jiaze was a layman. The designer didn't even show him the blueprints, but he wasn't the least bit dissatisfied.

Anyway, everything he looked at satisfied him. After all, he had come from hardship, and after the comparison, he felt these designs were simply too convenient. Of course, he could also sense how crude their previous care had been.

After the animals were moved back into their new enclosures, their spirits were clearly lifted.

Take the only lion comrade in their zoo for example. His previous living quarters were incredibly cramped. The new territory the construction crew made for him now had a total area of fifty square meters and was three to four meters high.

The original aviary had been completely transformed. Besides the expanded area, many plants were transplanted inside, making it like a small jungle. Since the birds here could all live together peacefully, cage-rearing was abandoned in favor of setting up many perching wooden frames.

Although the variety of animals was not rich at the moment, the construction crew was still very generous and designed all types of exhibition areas. In the future, when such animals were introduced, they could move in directly.

As soon as the renovation was complete, the construction crew left briskly.

During this period, Duan Jiaze also contacted the reporter, asking her to come for an interview after the renovations were done. At this point, there was only a little over a week left until the originally scheduled opening date.

......

On the morning of the fourth day, before the reporters arrived, Xiao Su, Liu Bin, and Xu Chenggong came first. When they saw the brand-new zoo, they let out a synchronized "Whoa—".

Xiao Su shouted, "Zoo Director, and you said you had no money!"

Duan Jiaze swore solemnly, "I really have no money. After the renovation, I'm broke."

"Wait, don't you guys think," Liu Bin said mysteriously, "our zoo used to be all gray and dusty. Now that the enclosures have been renovated, they're all beautiful. It makes our office building look exceptionally tacky..."

Everyone looked up in unison. Sure enough, nestled among the well-designed exhibition areas was a two-story building with a style strongly reminiscent of the urban-rural fringe, tacky beyond belief.

Duan Jiaze: "..."

He hadn't noticed until it was pointed out. Now that he looked, it was true. It was outstandingly ugly.

Great. Before, it was just that the animals ate better than the people. Now, they lived better too...

Luya also inspected his own office. It was indeed much better than before.

As a sign of respect for His Excellency, Luya's office was not in the same place as the other birds, but the area wasn't much smaller.

Duan Jiaze said with great satisfaction, "Bro, what do you think? Isn't it much more magnificent? It allows you to soar freely."

Luya looked at him with disdain, took out his phone, and showed Duan Jiaze a webpage. It was a news report about a certain country spending a huge sum of money to build a palatial enclosure, just for a panda they were receiving.

"What are you so happy about? I want one of these too," Luya said with jealousy and resentment. "On what grounds can these fat bears live in such a big place? Are they even rarer than me?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."