When he was still dozens of meters away, Yang Qi saw a large crowd gathered in front of the office building.
There were about seventeen or eighteen of them. Some wore administrative jackets, some wore polo shirts, and others wore shirts and ties. Like stars revolving around the moon, they surrounded a man in his early fifties who had handsome, refined features and a scholarly air.
The man wore a light gray casual blazer with no tie, the top button of his shirt undone. He held a straw hat in his hand and was turned to the side, saying something to Huang Zhongmu, a gentle smile on his lips.
Wei Zongting.
Song Chunfang’s second disciple, the Deputy Director of the Provincial Forestry Bureau.
Yang Qi had only seen him once before, in the Provincial Capital. It was when Song Chunfang had surgery; Fang Rong, Yang Fan, Xia Xiaomin, Wei Zongting, and her other disciples had all come to visit.
Yang Qi didn’t approach or call out a greeting. Instead, his eyes swept over the crowd until he found Jiang Kai standing at the edge, and he walked over quickly.
"Director, what’s going on?" Yang Qi asked quietly.
Jiang Kai turned to Yang Qi and, with a glance toward the center of the crowd, said in a hushed voice, "The Provincial Forestry Bureau is down for an inspection. They said it’s to investigate animal protection and public science education at the grassroots level. They specifically requested to come to our park, specifically asked to see the raptor house and the clouded leopard observation logs, and they specifically asked to see you."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Zongting, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, turned around. His gaze cut through a gap in the crowd and landed precisely on Yang Qi.
The smile on his face deepened. He raised his hand and waved in Yang Qi’s direction.
"Little Brother, come on over."
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was perfectly clear.
In an instant, every head swiveled toward Yang Qi.
Their gazes were filled with surprise, curiosity, assessment, and probing questions, along with a touch of astonishment they couldn’t quite hide.
Yang Qi could feel the temperature of their gazes change.
Jiang Kai gave him a gentle push from behind.
Yang Qi steadied himself. Under the crowd’s varied stares, he walked to Wei Zongting’s side and greeted him respectfully.
"Brother Wei."
Wei Zongting casually raised a hand and clapped Yang Qi on the shoulder. The gesture was perfectly measured—not too hard, not too soft—and spoke of a close relationship.
Then, turning to Director Huang, who was bowing slightly beside him, he said with a smile, "Director Huang, thank you for nurturing an outstanding young man like Xiao Yang. Teacher called me a few days ago and made a point of mentioning him. She said that of all her disciples, our little junior brother is the one on her mind the most."
The smile on Director Huang’s face broadened. "Director Wei, you’re too kind," he said repeatedly. "It’s mainly due to Xiao Yang’s own hard work. He’s diligent and has a strong sense of responsibility. Our park merely provided him with a platform."
"A platform is also very important."
Wei Zongting nodded, his gaze sweeping over the other accompanying personnel.
Representatives from the district and the city, from the forestry and environmental protection bureaus—all of them wore smiles, but their eyes kept darting back to Yang Qi.
"This kid, Xiao Yang, he’s sincere and a hard worker. That business at Cangshan, how dangerous was that? Anyone else would’ve run for cover, but not him. He charged right in. That’s the kind of spirit we should encourage," Wei Zongting praised openly, making no effort to hide his admiration.
"Yes, yes, Director Wei is right."
"Advisor Yang is young and promising, bold yet meticulous. A rare talent indeed."
"Our forestry system needs more young people like him, who are daring and driven."
"..."
A chorus of agreement arose, each person’s smile looking more sincere than the last.
Yang Qi kept his eyes slightly downcast. He listened to the praise, his face impassive, but in his heart, he understood everything perfectly.
Previously, when he’d been appointed a special consultant by the municipal bureau, two vice mayors had personally attended the commendation ceremony. It was a grand affair.
Back then, people both inside and outside the park—including those from the forestry system—gossiped that he’d likely gotten the position because of Song Chunfang’s influence.
Song Chunfang’s name certainly carried weight—she was a candidate for the Academy of Sciences and a titan in her academic field.
But at the end of the day, that was the academic world. It was a step removed from the administrative arms of the forestry bureau and the district and municipal governments.
They would show her respect, but that respect had its limits.
But Wei Zongting was different.
As the Deputy Director of the Provincial Forestry Bureau, he was their direct superior in a very real sense. He held power over project approvals, funding allocations, and personnel recommendations. He was a man who truly held their livelihoods in his hands.
Now, in front of all these people, Wei Zongting had called him "Little Brother" and declared he was "the one on Teacher’s mind the most."
The lines of closeness and distance were drawn in an instant.
All the previous subtle glances, the probing questions, and even the occasional, condescending dismissal of him as ’just a lucky zookeeper’...
...vanished in that instant.
In its place came a new, re-evaluated caution, and even a barely perceptible trace of ingratiation.
Yang Qi could clearly feel the change in their gazes.
He sighed softly in his heart.
’This is reality.’
At the same time, a warm feeling also rose slowly from the bottom of his heart.
Wei Zongting’s visit today was definitely not a last-minute decision.
The so-called "inspection" was just a formality.
His true purpose, entrusted to him by their teacher, was to come and publicly back him up, to tell everyone—
—that Yang Qi was Song Chunfang’s disciple, and his, Wei Zongting’s, junior brother.
Before, only a few high-level officials like Director Fang knew he was a member of the "Song Sect."
Now, after Wei Zongting had made this public stand, everyone who should know—and even those who shouldn’t—knew.
...
The inspection lasted for over an hour.
Wei Zongting visited the raptor house and asked about Qi Zai’s habits and recent condition.
He reviewed the clouded leopard observation logs, asking in detail about the range of activity for Caiyun and Ta Xue.
He even made a special trip to the maternity enclosure for Big Flower, the leopard, which wasn’t yet open to the public. Through the glass, he watched the seven cubs, who seemed to change by the day.
Yang Qi accompanied him, providing explanations. He was professional and thorough, his demeanor respectful but not subservient.
Wei Zongting would occasionally add a comment. The two "brothers" worked together in perfect sync, leaving no room for anyone else to get a word in.
At noon, the park arranged a working lunch. It was simple, clean, and not extravagant.