The iron gate closed behind him.
"How’d it go?" Chen Ze immediately came closer to ask.
Old Lin also looked over nervously.
"I communicated a bit with the male bear, and he’s in a slightly better mood," Yang Qi replied. "The female is still furious and won’t listen to me."
Old Lin sighed. "I told you. The female won’t listen to anyone right now. She even ignores us when we try to feed her."
"But the male is willing to eat now," Yang Qi added. "I just convinced him that he needs to be healthy to have a better chance of fathering cubs. He took it to heart."
"Really?" Old Lin’s eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed his face against the glass wall to look inside.
Sure enough, the male bear had moved out from behind the rockery. He was slowly walking to the food trough, where he bent his head, sniffed, and then picked up a carrot, starting to nibble on it in small bites.
He wasn’t eating with much enthusiasm, but at least he was eating.
"That’s great!"
Old Lin let out a sigh of relief. "As long as he’s eating, that’s good. If he’s eating, he can slowly get his strength back."
Chen Ze smiled as well. "Brother Qi always has a way. What about the female? Are we just going to let her keep attacking him?"
"The female needs to be guided gently over time."
Yang Qi explained, "How about this, Brother Lin: keep a close eye on them for the next couple of days. If the female attacks the male again, try to separate them as soon as possible. Also, you can add a little more of the things they like to their food, like honey and nuts, to improve their mood."
"Okay, okay, I’ll remember that," Old Lin said, nodding repeatedly.
"I’ll think of some other methods later."
Yang Qi said, "I’ll see if there are any... hmm, auxiliary methods to promote conception. It might take some time to prepare."
"Alright, we’ll be counting on you then, Brother Qi."
Old Lin said gratefully, "If you need any help from my end, just let me know anytime."
"You’re welcome."
Yang Qi responded, then glanced back inside the enclosure.
The female bear had already finished her carrot and was now lying by the edge of the pool, dipping her head into the water and drinking with a "GLUG, GLUG."
The male bear, meanwhile, was still nibbling on his carrot, occasionally stealing a timid glance at the female.
...
After leaving Bear Mountain, Yang Qi didn’t head back to the enclosure area. Instead, he walked straight toward the office building.
The morning sun was already starting to feel hot, baking the concrete path and stirring up the smell of dry dust.
The air conditioning in the office building was on full blast, and a wave of cool air hit him as soon as he walked in.
Yang Qi familiarly made his way to the second floor, walked to the door of the Animal Management Department, and knocked.
"Come in."
Jiang Kai’s voice came from inside.
Pushing the door open, he saw Jiang Kai sitting behind his desk, looking at some kind of report on his computer screen. His fingers were clacking away on a calculator, and his brow was slightly furrowed.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. When he saw it was Yang Qi, his brow relaxed a little.
"Xiao Yang? What’s up?"
"Minister, there’s something I’d like to report to you." Yang Qi walked to the front of the desk and pulled over a nearby chair to sit down.
"Go ahead."
Jiang Kai pushed the calculator aside, leaned back in his chair, and adopted a listening posture.
"It’s about the pair of black bears on Bear Mountain."
Yang Qi got straight to the point. "I just went to see them, and the situation isn’t good. The female is anxious because she still hasn’t conceived, and she’s been chasing and attacking the male. He’s being beaten so much that his appetite has decreased, his mood is low, and he’s even showing signs of depression."
Jiang Kai nodded. "The keeper reported this to me. It’s been weighing on my mind, too. The higher-ups are pushing hard for us to meet the breeding quotas, but pregnancy isn’t something you can just make happen on command. We forced them to cohabitate, and now they’re fighting like this... If this keeps up, the male’s health is going to collapse."
"Minister, I have an idea."
Yang Qi picked up the conversation. "I just had a brief chat with both bears. The male is still receptive, but the female is completely stubborn for now. But I think the root of the problem is still the fact that she ’can’t get pregnant.’"
He paused for a moment to organize his thoughts.
"I’ve read some literature and also asked my professor. Sometimes, animal infertility isn’t purely a physiological issue. Psychological factors, environmental stress, and even the details of a keeper’s handling can all have an impact."
"For example, feeding times, the food composition, the enclosure’s layout, and the relationship of trust between the keeper and the animals."
Jiang Kai listened intently, gesturing for Yang Qi to continue.
"Brother Lin is in charge of that pair of black bears. He’s very experienced, and there’s no problem with the care he provides."
Yang Qi started with that affirmation, then changed his tone. "But sometimes, just like people, animals can be particular about who they interact with. A different keeper might get a different reaction."
He looked at Jiang Kai and stated his true purpose. "So, I was thinking, could you let me temporarily take over the feeding duties for the black bears for a few days? Just the feeding."
"I want to see if, by adjusting the details of the feeding and... hmm, establishing a different kind of interaction, I can alleviate the female’s anxiety and also help the male relax."
"If their moods improve and their physical conditions are properly regulated, the chances of a successful pregnancy might increase."
"How confident are you?" Jiang Kai asked directly.
"I can’t say I’m very confident."
Yang Qi answered cautiously, "But there’s no harm in trying. Even if it doesn’t work, I can at least ensure they eat a bit better and help the male regain some of his appetite. Besides, I’ll only be handling the feeding. Brother Lin will still be responsible for all the other tasks, so it won’t disrupt the current management procedures."
Jiang Kai was silent for a moment.
Then, he nodded.
"You can give it a try."
"This situation with the bear couple has been a headache for me, too. The keeper is under a lot of pressure as well. Since you’re willing to help and put in the effort, go ahead and try."
He sat up straight, his expression turning more serious. "But, Xiao Yang, safety first. Black bears are dangerous animals, after all, and the female is emotionally unstable right now. When you’re feeding them, you must maintain a safe distance. If anything seems off, pull back immediately. Don’t try to be a hero."
"I understand. Don’t worry, Minister," Yang Qi promised seriously.
"Then it’s settled. I’ll let the keeper know that starting tomorrow, you’ll be temporarily in charge of feeding the black bears. As for how many days, we’ll decide based on the situation."
As he spoke, Jiang Kai picked up the internal phone line on his desk. "I’ll call the keeper right now."
"Thank you, Minister." Yang Qi stood up and thanked him sincerely.
"Nothing to thank me for. It’s all for the zoo’s animals." Jiang Kai waved his hand dismissively, already dialing the number.
Yang Qi said no more and quietly backed out of the office.
...
Back at Bear Mountain, Brother Lin was holding a logbook and leaning against the glass wall, observing the situation inside.
Seeing Yang Qi approach, he immediately stood up straight, a grateful smile on his face.
"Brother Qi, Minister Jiang just called me. He said you’ll be in charge of feeding the black bears for the next few days."
Brother Lin wrung his hands. "I’m really sorry to trouble you. This is supposed to be my job..."
"Don’t be so formal, Brother Lin."
Yang Qi cut him off. "I’m just trying something to see if I can help. I’ll still have to rely on you for cleaning, observation, and all that."
"Of course, of course."
Brother Lin nodded repeatedly. "I’m already incredibly grateful that you’re helping with the feeding. Honestly, watching the male get thinner every day has been making me anxious. But the female’s temper... sigh."
He sighed and handed a set of keys to Yang Qi. "These are for the staff access to the enclosure and the food prep room. Feeding times are 8:30 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon. I’ll prepare the food in advance and put it in the refrigerator in the prep room, already portioned out. You can just grab it and feed them directly."
Yang Qi took the keys. They felt cool and heavy in his hand.
"Okay, I got it."
"So, starting tomorrow morning?" Old Lin asked.
"Starting tomorrow morning," Yang Qi confirmed with a nod. "Brother Lin, you can just work your normal hours. No need to wait for me specifically."
"Alright, I’ll be counting on you then."
Brother Lin thanked him again.
...
「The next day.」
Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Yang Qi stopped his cultivation as usual. He went downstairs, took down the "Demon Extermination Array," and tallied his gains. After preparing cat and dog food for his furry kids and doing his daily lottery draw, he first headed to the Gray Wolf enclosure.
After feeding the wolves, he went to the raccoon enclosure.
After feeding the raccoons, he made his way to Bear Mountain.
Upon arrival, he picked up the food and entered the enclosure.
The male and female bears were already awake.
The female was lying by the pool, playfully splashing the water with her paws. Hearing the noise, she lifted her head, her round, black eyes looking over.
The male, meanwhile, was huddled in a corner of the rockery. He pricked up his ears warily at the sound of the gate opening.
Yang Qi first placed the food in the female’s trough.
The female bear gave Yang Qi a curious look but didn’t dwell on it. She walked to the trough and began to eat heartily.
"CRUNCH, CRUNCH..."
The sound of her crunching on an apple was crisp.
Seeing that she was focused on eating, Yang Qi activated his Basic Spirit Communication Technique.
"Having cubs isn’t something you can solve by beating up your mate."
Yang Qi sent soothingly, "You both need to calm down, try your best, and cooperate. That’s the only way you’ll have a chance."
The female bear’s crunching paused for a moment, and her ears twitched.
Then, she lifted her head and glanced at Yang Qi.
Her gaze was emotionless, showing neither her previous agitation nor any acceptance.
It was just a flat, indifferent glance.
Then, she lowered her head and went back to crunching on her apple, offering no response to Yang Qi’s soothing words.
She just kept eating on her own, completely ignoring him.
Yang Qi: "..."