The Aquarium, Open for Business!

The employees returned to work after the New Year. Many of them had come over the night before, since it was more convenient for work. The first thing Duan Jiaze did was give each of them a red envelope.

They had only been off work for a few days, and there was already a new tiger in the zoo, one that hadn't cost a single cent. Rumor had it that the Zoo Director had led a team to the city center and snatched it, which was simply amazing.

——This matter had already been wildly speculated upon by a few employees, led by Xiao Su. They heard that other zoos and breeding organizations were present at the scene, but Lingyou Zoo had unexpectedly pushed them aside, completed the tranquilizing task, and secured the right to keep the tiger.

In all this, was there really no scheming and plotting?

Duan Jiaze could only say they were overthinking it, although he had indeed been very proactive in rushing forward to claim the tiger.

Duan Jiaze also had a task for Peng Cheng and Zhou Yuyan: to produce the "The Spiritual Path Unfolds in the Zoo" umbrella made by Bai Suzhen. This type of oil-paper umbrella needed to be replicated one-to-one, requiring them to find a manufacturer to create a special template.

To be cautious, Duan Jiaze had Xiao Su take a picture of the umbrella and post it online to ask for opinions.

Xiao Su went crazy when she saw the umbrella, grabbing it and refusing to let go. "We have to make it, we absolutely have to! Zoo Director, where was this custom-made? Even if the zoo doesn't release it as merchandise, I want to buy one! It's too beautiful!"

Not to mention the feel of the Purple Bamboo, the calligraphy and painting on it were also gorgeous, exuding an ethereal, immortal-like aura.

Duan Jiaze said, "Sister Bai made this. You decide where to take the photos."

"Of course we need a model to take photos with it! What would it look like just placing it on the ground?" Xiao Su said. "Sister Bai is so clever and skillful, let's just ask her to be the model."

"You should ask Sister Bai if she's willing," Duan Jiaze said.

Overjoyed, Xiao Su went to find Bai Suzhen. Seeing Yousu at the entrance, she asked, "Little Yousu, have you seen Sister Bai?"

Yousu: "What's up?"

Xiao Su: "We need a suuuuper gorgeous beauty to be our model, and we want to ask Sister Bai to be in the photos. We have the perfect scenery; all we're missing is a beauty."

And it would be best to have a beauty with a classic charm, which made Sister Bai perfect for it. Actually, there were several other girls at Lingyou Zoo. It wasn't that they weren't good-looking—they were quite pretty—but there was still a certain gap when compared to Bai Suzhen, and they didn't have her kind of aura.

Yousu said with a beaming smile, "Then you're looking for me."

Xiao Su burst out laughing.

Yousu continued to smile beamingly.

Duan Jiaze, on the side: "..."

Xiao Su patted Yousu's head and said, "Alright, alright, that works too. A little model is fine as well. We can do two sets of photos."

Xiao Su found Bai Suzhen and Yousu and took photos of them in various places, such as the bamboo forest, the waterfowl lake, and the deer enclosure. When she returned and showed them to Duan Jiaze, there were dozens of pictures.

To this day, Xiao Su had never used professional photography equipment; she just used her phone to take the pictures. The composition was very basic, but the pixel quality was decent.

Especially with beautiful models and lovely scenery, after slightly adjusting the colors with a mobile app, the photos looked gorgeous to a layman like Duan Jiaze.

Bai Suzhen had even specially changed into an ancient-style costume. Xiao Su laughed, saying she hadn't expected Bai Suzhen, who usually wore modern suits, to also own clothes in this style.

Xiao Su posted the photos online directly from her phone. A nine-photo grid wasn't enough for her, so she even stitched them together into a long image.

In the pictures, Bai Suzhen, wearing a long dress, held the paper umbrella while looking back amidst the bamboo, or fed the fish in the lotus pond, and even squatted down to interact with the deer. There were also some solo shots of Yousu, as well as pictures of the two of them together.

The large swaths of green in the environment were pleasing to the eye, and the interaction between the beautiful women and the animals was even more touching. Following those were a few close-ups of the paper umbrella, from the handle and ribs to the ink marks on the canopy.

Xiao Su had no particular skill; the pictures moved people entirely through the beauty of Bai Suzhen, Yousu, and the paper umbrella.

Lingyou Zoo: Doing a little survey, what do you guys think of this merchandise umbrella? Do you want one?

The comments were a flood of:

Oh my god, the big sister and little sister are so beautiful I could cry. Can I have both the people and the umbrella?

So charming! Standing there, they look like they're on a movie poster. I haven't seen such beauties in a long time, please debut!

Lingyou Zoo really knows what it's doing. This merchandise has such a great feel, release it quickly! I'll buy, buy, buy!

I can't go to Donghai but want to support our Great Immortals, and now I finally have a chance! Release it quickly! I'll definitely buy one!

I'm in love! I want to snatch away the little loli, she's adorably cute!

Don't fight me for her, the girl is mine! Official account, hurry up and release the models' Weibo names, I want to follow them!

Am I the only one who thinks this calligraphy and painting is amazing? And that "The Spiritual Path Unfolds in the Zoo," it has such a cool vibe...

I need that font! It's really so beautiful!

I think so too, the calligraphy is really good. I'd buy it just for that.

......

Gold will always shine. After the survey post went viral because of Bai Suzhen's and Yousu's beauty, more and more people noticed that the calligraphy on the paper umbrella was exceptionally good.

Bai Suzhen had lived for so many years and had also lived in human society. While her calligraphy might not have formed its own unique school, it was definitely profound and impeccable.

The official account also retweeted and replied: This isn't a purchased font, it was personally written by our beautiful model-slash-designer.

How is anyone else supposed to live? The model is actually the designer herself, her handwriting is so beautiful, and she's so gorgeous—a combination of beauty and talent in one person. No wonder her aura is so good. And that little loli who's also exceptionally pretty, who is she to the beautiful designer? Could they be sisters? Or even mother and daughter?

This wave of attention led to gratifying survey results. After seeing the numerous comments in the retweets and replies that expressed high praise for the paper umbrella, Duan Jiaze immediately made the decision to have Peng Cheng and his team create the product.

Unexpectedly, yet not surprisingly, some people sent private messages through the official account, hoping to get to know Bai Suzhen and Yousu. There were requests for interviews, offers to sign them as internet celebrities, for commercials, or to become stars, and even requests to buy her calligraphy...

Of course, Bai Suzhen paid no mind to any of this and had Xiao Su reject them all.

Yousu, having seen it all, was even less moved. She wasn't short on money and no longer needed to prove her charm through such means.

But this wave of popularity made Duan Jiaze realize something. It seemed that for future merchandise, he should find more beautiful women and handsome men to be models. That's how to build popularity; they could sell a batch based on looks alone.

Then next time, when making Golden Crow merchandise, should he also pull out the Daoist Lord to sell his beauty?

With profit on the line, the Zoo Director was already rubbing his hands together fearlessly.

......

The prototyping and production of the umbrellas would still take some time. Duan Jiaze's class monitor came to Lingyou Zoo to pick up Schrödinger.

Kunpeng had been taking care of Schrödinger these past few days. When the class monitor saw Schrödinger, he almost didn't recognize him. Wiping his sweat, he said, "Kittens really do grow up fast, changing every day. He's gotten so much bigger."

Schrödinger was nestled obediently in Kunpeng's arms. When the class monitor took him away, he even meowed a few times, looking very reluctant to leave.

Kunpeng's expression was blank, but his eyes were fixed on Schrödinger.

"Thanks, Jiajia, and you too, little friend." The class monitor put Schrödinger into the cat carrier and left.

Kunpeng watched their departing figures for a while.

Seeing Kunpeng's reaction, it seemed he really liked that cat, and Duan Jiaze felt a bit bad. "Teacher Kunpeng, if you really like cats, we can go adopt one too."

"No need," Kunpeng said faintly, then shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away with his head down.

Duan Jiaze really couldn't figure out what Kunpeng was thinking. He spaced out for a moment before being called away by Huang Qi.

"Zoo Director, I've arranged the ad spaces, and we can start placing them. So, should we set the opening date for March 15th?" Huang Qi asked.

Duan Jiaze nodded. "Okay."

The acquisition work for the Aquarium was mostly complete. Though a few things remained, it had already met the standards for opening. This time, Lingyou Zoo's spending was also more generous than before; they were even renting indoor advertising space to place ads.

Since this was a coastal city, Duan Jiaze was afraid the Aquarium wouldn't be attractive enough, so he and Huang Qi worked out a promotional plan.

In addition to a discounted ticket period, and because Jiajia Restaurant was so popular, they decided that the opening event would be a prize draw for Jiajia Restaurant dishes using ticket stubs, with a number of prizes for first to fifth place.

The lowest prize was a single dish, while the highest included all dishes from either the Luojia Series or the Shennong Series, as well as limited-edition new dishes. The draw would be held daily for the first month after opening, with a considerable number of prizes.

Considering Jiajia Restaurant's prices, this event could be described as sparing no expense.

But only the insiders knew that it only cost them some seasonings and labor; the most important raw materials didn't cost a dime.

To many of Jiajia's loyal customers, and even some passersby, these terms were very attractive. If they were already planning to take their children to the zoo, stopping by the Aquarium would certainly be a good idea. Winning a prize would be a great value, and even if they didn't, it wouldn't be a loss.

The hype, which had died down a bit after some time and the Spring Festival break, surged once again. Some foodies even declared they would form groups to "grind" the Aquarium, determined to win the limited-edition dishes.

......

After several months of careful preparation, the Lingyou Zoo Aquarium was finally about to open for business.

It housed over forty species of freshwater aquatic life and over fifty species of saltwater aquatic life, totaling more than 3,000 individuals, although it didn't have the dolphins, orcas, or sharks that many other aquariums have.

But these creatures weren't particularly novel for the residents of Donghai City. What was remarkable was the Aquarium's claim to have the world's largest devil ray, with a wingspan of a full ten meters.

Nowadays, everyone has a phone, and a quick online search would show that the largest recorded Manta Ray ever found was only eight meters. People could find out if it was really ten meters by going inside to see. Many were quite curious; after all, that would be a world record. If Lingyou Zoo really had one, it would be a true highlight.

People are always fascinated by things that are exceptionally large or small. Seeing Lingyou Zoo put out such an advertisement, the media of Donghai City were also poised and ready to act.

On the day of the Aquarium's opening, many visitors arrived, and it was easy to imagine that a considerable number of them were there for the prize draw.

Take Li Yixiang, for example. He was a loyal customer of Jiajia Restaurant, one of the most die-hard fans, who would drive to Lingyou Zoo for lunch on a workday and then drive back.

Li Yixiang owned several shops himself. While not fabulously wealthy, his philosophy was that spending money to eat well was worth it. He didn't just eat there with his wife and child; every gathering with friends and relatives was also held at Jiajia Restaurant.

Li Yixiang sometimes even felt that eating at Jiajia Restaurant wasn't just about satisfying his appetite. Every time he went, he found the environment pleasant, his mood would inexplicably improve, and his spirits seemed to lift. His beer belly, which his wife often complained about, hadn't grown larger despite eating more; in fact, it had shrunk a little, which showed that the dishes were truly healthy.

This time, for the Lingyou Zoo Aquarium's opening, Li Yixiang specially brought his wife and daughter along. When they arrived, there was already a line outside the Aquarium. It wasn't a line to get in, but a line for the prize draw after buying tickets.

Based on Li Yixiang's past experience, this crowd wasn't considered large, so he quickly got in line for the draw too. His luck was good today; he won the third prize, which included five dishes. Although it didn't include the limited new items, it guaranteed that they could eat at Jiajia for lunch without worrying about it being sold out.

Li Yixiang's daughter, Sisi, had been waiting impatiently beside him. She wanted to go inside and play, and once the prize draw was over, she dragged her parents by the hand and rushed inside.

The Aquarium was advanced, true to Lingyou's style. You could see where every penny of the money went. Just as they entered the first exhibition area, Li Yixiang let out a "Huo!" of surprise and said, "This money was well spent."

Lingyou had definitely invested heavily. The ecological landscaping of the freshwater aquatic exhibition area was stunningly beautiful. The ceiling, floor, pillars, and even the trash cans were all decorated with green plants, and simulated banyan tree aerial roots hung down, making it feel as if they were in a rainforest.

Because of this meticulous arrangement, the first thing many visitors did upon arriving was to take a group photo.

The aquatic life here was displayed in wall-mounted aquariums, which were not simply tanks embedded in the wall. Depending on the species and the size of the environment, the decorations varied.

To the left, on a dark cyan wall, was a circular glass pane. Inside, on fine sand, were stones shaped like rockeries adorned with lush green water banyans. The background lighting was deep and serene, mainly illuminating the area around the rocks.

In the clear water, more than ten discus fish swam among the water banyans and rockeries.

The aquarium tank wasn't actually circular; it was designed with a cover that could be flipped down, revealing only a circular opening. This shape, along with the design of the rocks and aquatic plants inside, gave it a strong classical beauty, much like a moon gate in a traditional Chinese garden.

As the discus fish swam through, it enhanced the sense of spatial inversion and beauty.

Sisi nearly pressed her face against the glass. "Daddy, it's so pretty! Why isn't our fish tank at home this beautiful!"

"That's why we came here to see it," Li Yixiang said. "Sisi, look over there."

The built-in aquarium on the other wall was larger, and its visible shape was not a full moon like this one, but an irregular strip that looked as if it were brushed on with ink wash. The aquascape was also predominantly dark, and a large school of platys swam within, making their colors stand out even more brilliantly.

It wasn't just a simple wall-mounted aquarium, nor was it a fully exposed aquascape. It combined different exhibition forms with a half-hidden, half-revealed design style, subtly embodying a certain classical charm without feeling abrupt.

Looking around, Li Yixiang's impression was that the landscaping was exceptionally meticulous, harmonious, and unique. He kept fish himself, so he knew how much effort this must have taken.

If it wasn't personal effort, it was money spent to buy that effort. In short, it was not simple. Li Yixiang felt that some of the aquascapes could win awards on their own.

You could tell from the visitors snapping photos non-stop. When many people go to an aquarium, their focus for photos might just be the fish, but the visitors here were all capturing the entire scene. This alone showed the difference.

Visitors can feel how much heart you put into it, and they respond in kind.

After Li Yixiang's family of three finished admiring the freshwater exhibition area, they came to the tunnel-style saltwater exhibition area.

The scenery here wasn't too different from other aquariums, which was understandable. This type of exhibition model doesn't allow for as much creativity in landscape design and usually imitates the seabed environment.

The main attraction here was the world's largest devil ray that Lingyou had advertised. As soon as Sisi entered, she began to jump and look around, searching for a glimpse of the devil ray among the schools of colorful, swimming marine animals.

A visitor up ahead shouted, "The devil ray is here!"

Following this shout, the scene fell into a brief silence. It wasn't to the sides; everyone tacitly looked up, searching for the devil ray's figure.

From above and ahead, a "dark cloud" drifted over. Its body was as large as a house, with a width of more than ten meters. Its long, thin tail swayed gently behind it, and its two fins flapped like wings as it swam closer. Wherever it went, schools of fish would quickly get out of the way a dozen meters in advance, giving it quite the entourage.

"Wow..."

The visitors let out gasps of amazement in unison, craning their necks to truly take in the size of this so-called world's largest devil ray.

Just by visual estimation, it was definitely ten meters!

Watching it from this angle and at this distance was more shocking than seeing it in any picture or video.

Just as everyone, whether standing or sitting, was staring blankly up at the devil ray's swimming form, it suddenly flapped a pectoral fin and slapped it against the glass with a "BANG!"

Many visitors jumped in fright, some even screaming out loud, especially the children.

Sisi burrowed into Li Yixiang's arms. "Ah, Daddy, let's get out of here quickly! The devil ray is going to fall down!"

Li Yixiang himself was startled, mainly because it was so sudden. He patted his daughter's head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "It's okay, it won't fall down."

......

"The world's largest devil ray has appeared in Donghai. As we can see, its size is truly immense, with a wingspan of a full ten meters. A moment ago, this devil ray very playfully slapped the glass with its pectoral fin, causing some visitors to cry out in surprise..."

The TV station reporter delivered her lines with her back to the underwater tunnel, thankful that they had captured the entire startling moment on camera.

After finishing the voice-over, the reporter shook hands with Duan Jiaze, who was standing to the side.

Duan Jiaze: "Thank you for your hard work."

The reporter smiled, "It's my job, Director Duan. This Manta Ray is really huge. My goodness, it startled me too earlier. Where on earth did you get it?"

Duan Jiaze chuckled. "It came knocking on our door by itself."

The reporter thought he was joking and laughed along politely.

One could imagine that acquiring this fish couldn't have been cheap. Even a common goldfish, if it could grow to be two meters long, could be sold for a good price, let alone a Manta Ray. This wasn't something money alone could solve; it was probably one of Lingyou Zoo's business secrets.

Although the news report focused on the devil ray, the reporter still wanted to film some shots of other exhibition areas to enrich the content. She said, "Let's go shoot some footage elsewhere next. And this... the touch pool, right? Director Duan, can you tell us about the special features of this touch pool?"

Touch pools are generally designed to simulate a freshwater or marine environment but are open, containing creatures like starfish, sea turtles, sea anemones, and ornamental fish for visitors to interact with up close.

For the citizens of a coastal city, this wasn't anything novel. In other cities, some people might be eager enough to touch a starfish to death, but in Donghai, you didn't need to go to an aquarium; this kind of experience was available in many places.

The reporter wanted to know what strengths Lingyou's touch pool had. Just like the design of the freshwater exhibition area and the super-large Manta Ray in the saltwater area, she subconsciously believed there must be something different about it. That would be in line with Lingyou's consistent style.

Duan Jiaze: "Uh, the aquatic life in our touch pool has a very positive work attitude. The aquatic life on duty will greet visitors from within and outside the province with full enthusiasm, warmly welcoming them, and will be enthusiastic, patient, and meticulous..."

The reporter was amused and giggled. "You're really good at joking!"