Chapter 654 - 544: Walking the Panda

Chapter 654: Chapter 544: Walking the Panda

Before getting off work, Ma Tao and the others gathered to discuss Shen Xin’s idea.

"Will this even work?"

Ma Tao looked worried.

Shen Xin had proposed that after the zoo closed, after the staff’s shifts ended, and after all the visitors had left the park, they could let Meng Lan out for a bit. They could walk him around to familiarize him with the outside environment.

Once he understood what the outside was like, he wouldn’t keep trying to run out anymore.

The idea sounded decent at first glance.

But Ma Tao thought about it. Setting aside the risk of an accident if they let him out...

How would they even do it? Just have people follow him?

This wasn’t a cat or a dog that you could just walk on a leash.

This was a bear. Even on a leash, if he decided to bolt, no one could hold him back.

So, the matter was risky.

Secondly, they were afraid that if he got used to frolicking outside for too long, not only would it fail to demystify the outdoors for him, but it might even make him feral.

The others had the same thoughts and concerns.

Shen Xin understood. After all, if something went wrong, they would be the ones held responsible.

In truth, Shen Xin himself was also hesitant, afraid he might not handle it well.

After all, there was no precedent to follow.

In the end, they could only shelve the idea for now and discuss it again later.

But the very next morning, Meng Lan escaped again.

He had once again exploited a loophole in the keepers’ routine.

His outdoor enclosure wasn’t renovated yet, so he could only be kept in the indoor cage area for the time being.

But they still had to clean his area and prepare his food every day.

Fearing he would bolt when they opened the door, they used a partition, planning to lure him outside first, clean the enclosure, and then lock him back inside.

As it turned out, he came out obediently, but once he was out, he took advantage of a moment of inattention, suddenly charged the partition, and nimbly vaulted over the not-so-high barrier.

Then he took off running for the exit.

Luckily, Shen Xin arrived just in time to block him, preventing him from getting out.

Another escape attempt made Zhu Fengmao and the others realize how troublesome the situation was.

Especially since Meng Lan was the zoo’s top star. They were counting on him to attract visitors in the future, so figuring out how to properly care for him was of the utmost importance.

That afternoon, Zhu Fengmao found Shen Xin and said he was prepared to give Shen Xin’s method a try.

Whether it would work or not, they would try first and see.

But he also knew Shen Xin would be leaving sooner or later, so he hoped Shen Xin could cooperate well with the keeper team and provide proper guidance.

In the winter, the zoo closed early, at five o’clock.

Once the visitors had dispersed, Ma Tao and the others gathered in front of Meng Lan’s cage, looking at each other blankly before their gazes fell in unison on Shen Xin.

The specifics of how to proceed were still up to Shen Xin.

Shen Xin couldn’t very well put a leash on Meng Lan. The only thing he could do was lay down some ground rules for him.

He had to make him understand that they could take him out.

But he had to be obedient.

He wasn’t allowed to do things they forbade, he had to respond when they called him, and he had to be recallable.

"Otherwise, I’ll poke your butt."

Shen Xin poked his butt, making him understand that they had ways of dealing with him.

Meng Lan understood and nodded eagerly.

Then he clawed at the cage, wanting to run out.

"Stop!"

Shen Xin immediately barked a command to stop him.

The rules had to be established from this very moment. Moreover, he couldn’t just listen to Shen Xin; he had to listen to Xu Haisheng and Ma Tao as well.

Meng Lan whined, visibly excited.

[Understood]

Shen Xin knew. It was just like taking a child out to play; you had to establish the rules gradually.

He then used his walkie-talkie to check in. After receiving confirmation that everything was ready outside, he finally opened the metal gate.

"No running!" Shen Xin immediately scolded when he saw Meng Lan charging out again.

No reaction.

Shen Xin immediately rushed over to block him, grabbing his ear and pulling him back.

He had to make him understand: if you don’t listen, you don’t get to go out.

Having learned his lesson, he understood immediately.

When he went out again, he would look back at Shen Xin after taking just a couple of steps.

"He’s really like a child," Ma Tao couldn’t help but say as he followed along.

Beside him, Xu Haisheng nodded in agreement.

With a giant panda’s intelligence, they were indeed like a three or four-year-old child.

Since it was the first day, they didn’t go far, just wandered around the Panda House area.

One step at a time.

But for Meng Lan, just being able to leave that tiny, palm-sized world was enough to make him ecstatic.

He wandered around curiously, looking here and sniffing there.

He even went to his own outdoor enclosure, experiencing what it was like to look at his home from the outside.

The group followed beside him, on alert for any situation.

Ding Yuwei linked her arm with Shen Xin’s, treating it like a stroll. As she watched, she said softly, "Honestly, sometimes I think they’re quite pitiful."

Stuck in a cage, watching people come and go for a lifetime—what meaning was there in a bear’s life?

Shen Xin shook his head. "That’s not right. As the saying goes, ’You are not the fish; how can you know the joy of the fish?’"

"Besides, if they leave their cages and return to the wild, would things really be better? Living a precarious life, not knowing where your next meal is coming from—would they truly be happy then?"

"Think about Bai Xue, the escape queen. She ran back to the wild for a few years and still came back on her own."

"And that she-wolf Tianxiong met on the prairie. The last time I went to the prairie, I asked about her. They said she ran back to the highway to beg for food again."

"Of course, if you insist on ’give me liberty or give me death,’ then there’s no point in discussing it."

"So, if this experiment is successful, I think it’ll be great for Meng Lan. His food and shelter are guaranteed, and he can still wander around a limited space after hours. That’s pretty good."

Ding Yuwei understood Shen Xin’s point and didn’t say any more.

The Panda House area was limited. After half an hour of wandering, Meng Lan was already getting a little bored.

Passing by a green area, he turned his head to look at Shen Xin.

Shen Xin understood instantly. He wanted to go to Waterfowl Lake.

Considering how obedient he’d been, Shen Xin discussed it with Ma Tao and they agreed.

They didn’t cut through the greenery; they went out through the main path.

When they arrived at Waterfowl Lake, Meng Lan was absolutely thrilled.

As darkness fell, the decorative colored lights turned on, and he had the time of his life playing.