Chapter 645 - 535: They Say Animal Performances Are Forbidden, but You Can’t Stop an Animal That Wants to Perform

Chapter 645: Chapter 535: They Say Animal Performances Are Forbidden, but You Can’t Stop an Animal That Wants to Perform

People in this country love a spectacle.

Even a couple of people bickering on the street can draw a crowd, to say nothing of a national treasure—a giant panda—who had just started dancing.

"Encore!"

a tourist shouted from outside the enclosure.

Shen Xin stepped back, then forward again.

Meng Lan retreated too quickly, leaned back, and plopped right on his bottom.

He didn’t seem to mind at all. He just rolled backward with the momentum, chuckling to himself and hopping excitedly in place.

In the crowd, Ma Tao and the others broke out in a cold sweat, their hearts still pounding with fear.

They weren’t afraid Meng Lan would hurt himself from the fall; they were afraid that in his excitement, he might take an overzealous swipe at Shen Xin.

Besides, the situation felt like it was spiraling out of control.

The tourists were all shoving their way over, and a commotion was already breaking out.

Many of the visitors were families with children, and it was actually quite dangerous for them to be packed into the crowd like this.

Some people had already started shouting, telling those in the back to stop pushing.

A security guard stood on the base of the fence, holding on to the railing as he yelled at the tourists, "Stop crowding! People in the front, move along! If you’re done watching, please leave!"

But it was completely useless.

At other zoos, a panda could draw a crowd just by taking a few steps.

This one was dancing. Who would be willing to leave?!

Ling Qianshan came to his senses and hastily sent someone to find more security guards.

They needed to limit the number of visitors. They absolutely had to.

The pandas were most energetic and active in the morning, which was also when the zoo had the most visitors.

If they didn’t control the crowd now, more and more people would show up. An accident was bound to happen.

At the same time, he quickly told Ma Tao to stop Shen Xin. ’The show’s over! If this keeps up, there’s going to be trouble.’

Ma Tao hurried off.

He didn’t even need Ma Tao to tell him. Shen Xin had already noticed the problem. He went to the fence, stepped onto the base, and started gesturing and shouting at the crowd, urging them to be orderly.

Unexpectedly, Meng Lan followed him.

He stood up on his hind legs and copied Shen Xin, waving to the crowd outside.

This, of course, triggered a new wave of gasps and cheers.

"Look! The panda is waving!"

"He’s saying hello!"

"Has the Third Prince become sentient?"

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of hand, Shen Xin decisively chose to lead Meng Lan back to the den area.

The panda was having a blast with him. The moment Shen Xin started to leave, Meng Lan happily trotted after him.

Ma Tao arrived just in time and helped Shen Xin guide him back to the den.

"Don’t go!"

"Yeah, we haven’t seen enough yet!"

"Your zoo can’t do this! We came all this way just to see the pandas."

"We even had to buy a second ticket!"

The crowd of tourists immediately began to clamor.

Ling Qianshan felt a massive headache coming on, but he also keenly spotted a business opportunity.

While ordering the security guards to maintain order, he hurried toward the keepers’ area.

When he got there, Meng Lan was playfully pestering Shen Xin.

He was gripping the bars, jumping up and down.

"Director Ling, is everything okay out there?" Shen Xin asked worriedly.

Ling Qianshan shook his head and said hurriedly, "Officer Shen, you’re incredible! Look how well Meng Lan gets along with you. How about this? You could bring Meng Lan out to interact more with the tourists."

These days, a zoo needed a gimmick—an animal that could draw in traffic.

Meng Lan was already the zoo’s top star; seventy percent of visitors came specifically for him.

In the past, he could get tourists excited just by doing the splits.

Now that he was dancing, the tourists would go wild.

So Ling Qianshan immediately realized this was the perfect gimmick to attract visitors.

Of course, there had been a bit of a disturbance earlier.

But that was because they were unprepared.

With some preparation, there wouldn’t be any problem at all.

"Director, is that really okay?" Ma Tao asked, hesitant.

’What is this, using a giant panda to perform and solicit customers?’

Ling Qianshan said, "Forget ’is it okay?’ What’s not okay about it? This is how Meng Lan normally acts."

They say animal performances are forbidden, but you can’t stop the animal if it insists on performing itself.

That was just Meng Lan’s personality. He loved putting on a show and interacting with the tourists.

As he spoke, he turned and eagerly asked Shen Xin if he was willing.

"Worst case, I’ll put you on the payroll," Ling Qianshan added.

Shen Xin quickly waved his hands dismissively.

’Forget about a salary, but this could actually work. If I’m going to make any progress with Walnut, I’ll definitely need the zoo’s cooperation. If you don’t bring them some benefits, why would they cooperate with you wholeheartedly? Just because you’re a police officer? We’re not even in the same system. My badge doesn’t carry that much weight here.’

Besides, it seemed like Meng Lan himself enjoyed it.

The little guy definitely had a performer’s personality. He loved making a scene and being the center of attention.

However, it was getting late, and Shen Xin had to hurry to his meeting with Xu Jinguang.

That was his real business.

But just as he left the zoo and was about to set off, he received a call from Secretary Chen.

He said Xu Jinguang had been pulled into a last-minute meeting and couldn’t get away, so they would have to reschedule.

He also had Secretary Chen relay a message: Shen Xin should just focus on his own work, and if any problems arose, he could contact him anytime, and he would figure out a solution.

Shen Xin quickly said he understood.

Forget Xu Jinguang; even Zhao Hongjie went from one meeting to the next without a break. People like that rarely had any free time.

After hanging up, Shen Xin decided he might as well ask Lin Wei to take Ding Yuwei to a nearby wholesale market to buy some bamboo shoots.

They had to be picky and make sure to get the freshest ones.

Walnut was the real priority. He had to use every trick in the book.

"You take it easy, too. Don’t forget your actual mission," Ding Yuwei reminded him as she was leaving. "Xu Jinguang sent you to the zoo, not to put on a show with the animals."

Shen Xin nodded, indicating that he knew what he was doing.

’I scratch the zoo’s back, and the zoo will scratch mine. At the end of the day, it’s all for the job.’

When he returned, the Olympic Hall had already started restricting entry.

A security guard with a megaphone was announcing that each person was only allowed 15 minutes of viewing time.

A long line had already formed at the entrance.

Word had spread that the Third Prince of West Gate had a new keeper today, was feeling particularly performative, and had even learned a new skill: a folk dance.

The line snaked almost all the way to the zoo’s main entrance, and no one seemed willing to leave.

Tourists gathered to watch, and so did the keepers.

By the time Shen Xin arrived at the Olympic Hall, a large crowd had already gathered.

It wasn’t just the panda team; keepers from other sections had also come, chattering away in amazement.

Even the zoo director, Zhu Fengmao, had rushed over.

He had just finished a discussion with Ling Qianshan. Upon seeing Shen Xin, his eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to enthusiastically shake both of Shen Xin’s hands.

"Officer Shen! I was so busy yesterday, I didn’t get a chance. Welcome, welcome!"

Whether he was actually busy or not, only he would know.

Shen Xin didn’t mind and quickly replied with the usual pleasantries.

His intention was much the same as Ling Qianshan’s: he wanted Shen Xin to have Meng Lan interact more with the tourists.

"By the way, I heard from Old Ma that you also have a hunting falcon, an albino one?"

In the middle of their small talk, Zhu Fengmao suddenly changed the subject and asked about Teddy.

Shen Xin glanced at Ma Tao. ’He must have mentioned it when everyone was chatting earlier.’

"That’s right, I have one. But I’m not really its owner; I’m just looking after it for someone else."

Seeing the eager look in Zhu Fengmao’s eyes, Shen Xin took out his phone to show him a picture of Teddy.

Ling Qianshan and the others immediately crowded around.

"Whoa, it really is an albino. It’s gorgeous," Ling Qianshan said, his eyes shining.

This was a real rarity. Not a single zoo in the entire country had one.

He shot a meaningful look at Zhu Fengmao.

Before Zhu Fengmao could even speak, Shen Xin preemptively shut him down, explaining that Professor Chen from the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Zoology had entrusted him with the falcon’s care.

The implication was clear: it wasn’t his decision to make.

Once this was said, Zhu Fengmao understood instantly. His tone changed as he marveled at the photo, "tsk-tsking" and saying that this was even rarer than a giant panda.

They couldn’t chat for long, as the tourists outside were getting impatient.

They had to shelve the topic for now and let Meng Lan go out to "do business" in the outdoor yard.

As they watched Shen Xin enter the yard, Zhu Fengmao lightly nudged Ling Qianshan and asked in a low voice, "Is he really a police officer?"

Ling Qianshan nodded.

Zhu Fengmao clicked his tongue and sighed, "What a shame."

Ling Qianshan nodded in agreement, then brought up the reason for Shen Xin’s visit. "I wonder what’s wrong with this Walnut panda?"

Zhu Fengmao couldn’t figure it out either. "Well, he’s doing us a huge favor, so we should cooperate as much as we can."

With the end of the year approaching, they had to capitalize on this wave of traffic.

「In the outdoor yard.」

As Meng Lan appeared, the crowd erupted once more.

Shouts of "Dance for us!" came from all directions.

’They want a dance, huh! Since Meng Lan is willing, let’s dance.’

"Meng Lan, come here."

Shen Xin turned his back to Meng Lan and patted his own shoulder.

The panda didn’t understand, so Shen Xin had to guide him.

Shen Xin helped him stand up, placed his paws on his own shoulders, and then started walking with him slowly.

In truth, Shen Xin didn’t have much talent for dancing, nor had he ever formally learned.

But who couldn’t sway back and forth a little?

Besides, he had lived in Dian Nan for a while, and the group dances there were famous throughout the country.

Shen Xin had joined in on the fun more than a few times.

So, all that was missing now was a speaker.

But as long as he got the rhythm right, it would work. He had discovered that Meng Lan was a very strong mimic.

And sure enough, after a few steps, not only was the panda walking more and more smoothly, but he also started to sway naturally along with Shen Xin.

His short legs and big bottom made his wiggling all the more hilarious.

The crowd outside went wild, everyone holding their phones higher than the next person.

Meng Lan himself was thrilled, as if he’d never had this much fun before. He swayed along with Shen Xin, grinning at the crowd.

This was the age of the internet.

Especially after short-form video platforms exploded in popularity, you could watch fun clips from all over the country without ever leaving your house.

That very day, videos of Meng Lan went viral across the entire internet.

The first to blow up was a peaceful, idyllic clip of Shen Xin and Meng Lan on the swing set.

[Soooo cute!]

[Seriously jealous. Where can I find a job like this?]

[They’re all keepers, so why are you the favorite?]

[This is so heartwarming. I feel healed.]

[I have a swing set at home too. So, where do I go to pick up my giant panda?]

But after that moment of serene beauty, the style took a sharp turn.

A video of Meng Lan with his paws on Shen Xin’s shoulders, swaying in step with him, immediately became a trending topic and blew up online.

Pandas were always A-listers, but a panda that could put on a show was the A-lister of A-listers.

[I can’t watch. Is this still our panda?]

[Music on, world off. Beat drops, anything goes.]

[City pandas are just built different. They even know how to rave.]

[Meng Lan: The trip was worth it. Totally worth it, guys.]

[Fake. It’s definitely fake. Look, the zipper on the back is splitting at the seams.]

It went viral incredibly fast.

That evening, during their routine video call to exchange progress reports, the first thing Yang Zeran did was plead with Ding Yuwei to switch places with him.

"I want to play with the giant panda, too!"

When Yang Zeran scrolled past the videos that evening, his eyes had turned green with envy.

Beside him, Zhao Tianxing nodded nonstop.

Seeing Shen Xin having such a cushy time made him feel not so good.