Not long ago, Huang Qi was still an atheist.

As an employee of a publicly listed company, Huang Qi was an undisputed winner in life in the eyes of his friends. His annual base salary alone was several million. He had already become a junior manager with a bright future and had a beautiful girlfriend.

But the turning point began when Huang Qi wanted to break up with his girlfriend. He gradually felt that their values were incompatible and proposed a breakup, but his girlfriend refused at all costs. She even caused a scene at his company, insisting that there was a third party involved, calling him a scumbag, and demanding that the company discipline him.

But how could the company possibly discipline Huang Qi for such a reason? Besides, it was completely fabricated; his colleagues only felt sympathy for Huang Qi.

After three months of this entanglement, Huang Qi never expected that this woman, now his ex-girlfriend, after failing to get any results from her scenes, would actually choose the most irrational path. Stubbornly, she leaped from the twenty-third floor, sending Huang Qi only a single voice message cursing him before she died.

By the time Huang Qi saw the message, his girlfriend's body had already been discovered by a passerby.

Huang Qi was devastated, and the company even gave him a few days off.

But more terrifying things were yet to come. Huang Qi began to dream every night of his girlfriend coming for his life. Being plagued by nightmares was one thing, but during the day, Huang Qi also found himself unable to muster any energy, and his condition worsened.

He went to the hospital for a check-up, but they couldn't find anything wrong. At most, they determined he had a psychological illness.

What Huang Qi couldn't articulate was that his girlfriend in his dreams was becoming clearer and clearer; it was becoming less and less like a dream.

At this point, someone suggested that Huang Qi go to a temple to pray. Left with no other choice, Huang Qi visited a few. Most people couldn't see anything wrong, and only one monk said something was a bit off, but the several ritual services he performed for Huang Qi were useless.

Huang Qi was beginning to think that he had really developed a mental illness.

Huang Qi's mental state deteriorated day by day. He became like a walking corpse, increasingly negative. In the later stages, a voice in his head constantly told him to die. The day before yesterday, he had stormed out of a meeting without asking for leave.

The suicidal impulse grew stronger and stronger, so Huang Qi bought a ticket to Donghai City in his province. It was said that thousands of years ago, this place was a vast ocean, a part of the Donghai. The city's Cape Mountain was once a cliff overlooking the sea, but it was now a dense forest.

Huang Qi thought, 'It's good to die in a beautiful place.'

Huang Qi boarded the bus to Cape Park. He hadn't bathed in two days. Miraculously, at the entrance, he felt a rare moment of clarity, which prompted him to walk towards the zoo next door——

A Goldfinch landed on Huang Qi's shoulder, its sharp beak gently brushing against his cheek before it flapped its wings and flew away.

In a daze, Huang Qi was led by a staff member to buy a ticket and walked into this local zoo.

——The moment he stepped inside, the surrounding clamor, which had seemed to be muffled by a layer of gauze, suddenly became clear!

In contrast, the faint, nagging voice in his head vanished in an instant, and the gloomy chill that had been clinging to him also disappeared.

Huang Qi shuddered. It felt as if a dark cloud shrouding his soul had dissipated, and his mind suddenly became clear.

In an instant, Huang Qi's face turned pale.

He thought about how, in his dazed state recently, he had gradually given up on treatment. Under the influence of nightmares and auditory hallucinations, he had lost all interest in life, a stark contrast to his previously positive and upwardly-mobile self...

That was definitely not what he truly thought. He still had life goals he hadn't accomplished. How could he have unknowingly fallen into such a state?

But the moment he entered the zoo, that feeling completely vanished!

This was more effective than those monks performing useless rituals a thousand times over. It was clear that he had indeed been haunted by a vengeful spirit recently.

Huang Qi didn't know why he had suddenly become clear-headed. He looked around; every tourist had a strange, ordinary face. The laughter and the calls of the animals were all unremarkable.

However, Huang Qi felt that the moment of clarity that led him here was the final struggle of his subconscious. This place must have something special about it.

Huang Qi frowned and tried to walk out. But just twenty-odd steps away, the cold, gloomy feeling began to envelop him again, and the sense of being trapped threatened to return at any moment. Frightened, he quickly retreated back into the zoo's grounds.

......

An air conditioner remote lay on the floor, burning. Its plastic casing was gradually changing color.

Duan Jiaze frantically splashed tea on the flames of the remote, only to discover in despair that the fire couldn't be extinguished at all. Finally, the remote exploded with a bang, and its shattered parts continued to burn.

Duan Jiaze: “...”

Duan Jiaze: “Ahhhhh! I hate you! Get back to work!”

Luya sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. “I'll rest for half an hour before going back. I've already checked; working for ten hours straight like this violates labor laws.”

Duan Jiaze: “...”

Just fifteen minutes ago, Luya had slipped out of the aviary. There were too many birds there, and everyone was gathered around the peacocks anyway, so the tourists wouldn't pay him much mind. There were few staff members, and it was impossible for them to keep an eye on every spot at all times.

So Luya had run to the break room to enjoy the air conditioning. But because the remote's batteries were dead and Luya didn't quite understand human technology, he had set it on fire in a fit of anger...

Duan Jiaze splashed it with tea, to no avail. He tried swatting it, still no use. The fire seemed to be deeply rooted.

So, more severe than Luya skipping work was the current situation: the fire just wouldn't go out.

Duan Jiaze was going crazy. “What is with this fire! It won't go out! Is this Samadhi True Fire?”

Luya laughed mockingly, “What's Samadhi True Fire? This is the Essence of Solar Fire. If you can extinguish it with a mortal object, then that's your skill. This is the ancestor of all fires, the source of all flames. It can burn everything in the world, especially primordial spirits, souls, and all things of yin. Every single one I've burned has knelt and begged for mercy.”

“Moreover, I've hidden a wisp of it at the entrance for you. If another demon like Hu Dawei comes, we can just burn him to death. How about that? Can a dog do that?”

Luya was incredibly pleased with himself.

Duan Jiaze: “...Are you ever going to let the dog thing go?”

Just then, Wang Yizhao came in from outside. Seeing the fire on the floor, he was also startled. “Hey, what's going on here?”

“N-nothing, it's fine, I'll handle it!” Duan Jiaze, afraid of being found out, quickly grabbed a broom before the other could notice anything amiss. He pretended to swat at the flames while sweeping them into a dustpan.

However, the moment the flames touched the dustpan, it immediately caught fire as well.

Duan Jiaze: “...”

He used the broom to block Wang Yizhao's line of sight and gave a dry laugh.

Wang Yizhao didn't notice anything. He poured a glass of water to drink. “How rare. Brother Lu is here during the day.”

“Yeah, I'm about to leave.” Luya stood up, stretched, and started walking out. As he passed by Duan Jiaze, he stomped on the dustpan a few times, extinguishing the flames, and then sauntered out smugly.

Duan Jiaze gave him the middle finger from behind.

......

Huang Qi wandered around the zoo. His handmade suit, wrinkled like a pickled vegetable from the bumpy journey and from being worn even during sleep, along with his pathetic stubble, drew many sideways glances from other tourists. Those with children quickly pulled their kids away from him.

It was as if Huang Qi had just returned to the mortal world; he was completely oblivious.

Huang Qi discovered that although this small zoo was not large and didn't have many animals, its facilities were on par with those of large city zoos. The tourists who came here most often visited the aviary and the canine enclosure.

In the aviary, Huang Qi heard many people marveling at the wonders of nature. He took a closer look and found it was indeed quite magical. There were many species of birds here. Logically, they should have each kept to themselves, but in reality, they all took their cues from the two peacocks.

Wherever the two peacocks went, it was like Moses parting the sea; the other birds would lower their heads and move aside respectfully.

This magical scene made many tourists stop and linger, reluctant to leave.

A small child asked, “Mom, are they the king and queen of all birds?”

If Jinwei and Cuicui could understand the child's words, they might have fallen over on the spot just to show him.

The mother was a bit embarrassed and said, “No, honey, they are both male peacocks.”

The child said innocently, “Are they the big king and the little king then?”

Mother: “...I guess so.”

It wasn't just this child; many adults also couldn't understand the scene of Jinwei and Cuicui ruling together. How could one territory have two leaders?

Doesn't the saying go, 'one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, unless one is male and the other female'? These two were neither brothers nor a married couple, so how could they lead together peacefully?

Needless to say, some people's minds went to the gutter.

Huang Qi hesitantly withdrew his gaze and glanced at a rather large, red bird on a branch behind the glass wall next to him. There was no label next to it. It sat quietly on the branch, yet it didn't give the impression of being weak or easy to bully. On the contrary, it looked as if it could fly over and attack at any moment.

Huang Qi felt that perhaps this was partly his own imagination, because he saw that this bird alone occupied a separate area and looked very much like a bird of prey. Perhaps it was very aggressive and couldn't be housed with other birds.

Huang Qi stayed here for a long time. He also heard someone ask why this bird had no label introducing its species.

A tourist who had been here before explained that it was a smuggled bird rescued by the Zoo Director, and even experts couldn't fully determine its species, so there was no introduction. Moreover, the Zoo Director usually took care of it personally.

Next, Huang Qi visited all the other enclosures. In front of the Arctic fox exhibit in the canine enclosure, Huang Qi felt his soul sublimate—an unprecedented softness, focus, and relaxation.

After his mind became clear, his nerves, long tormented and fragile, were healed by the cute Arctic foxes. He felt much better, and Huang Qi as a whole calmed down.

However, as the sky slowly darkened and it neared the zoo's closing time, Huang Qi became anxious again.

He didn't dare to leave this place.

What if he returned to that state after leaving?

When closing time arrived, the few remaining tourists were asked to leave by the staff during their rounds. Only Huang Qi remained. He pleaded with the employee who came to ask him to leave not to kick him out.

Liu Bin looked troubled. “Sir, we're closing for the day.”

“Please, can you let me stay here?” Huang Qi began to take out his phone. “I can pay. Is a hundred thousand enough?”

Liu Bin looked at Huang Qi in surprise, sizing up his appearance and clothes for a moment before saying, “Please wait a moment. I'll go find our Zoo Director.”

Huang Qi: “Thank you, thank you! You're a good person!”

......

Liu Bin turned and walked away. When he ran into Xu Chenggong, he said, “Brother Xu, there's a tourist over there who seems to have something wrong with his head. I was just about to ask the Zoo Director if we should escort him out together.”

“Huh? How did someone with mental problems get in?” Xu Chenggong was also surprised. “I'll go with you. If we have to, we can get him out together later.”

The two of them ran to find Duan Jiaze and told him that a disheveled man with a greasy face and hair wanted to pay a hundred thousand yuan to sleep here for the night. They suspected there was something wrong with his head.

Duan Jiaze: “...How did someone like that end up at our place? I'll go with you guys. Let's get him out of here.”

They thought, 'Three grown men against one, even if he's a violent lunatic, should be enough.'

When Huang Qi saw the three of them, he immediately identified the one walking in front, Duan Jiaze, as the Zoo Director. He even stepped forward with a debonair air to shake Duan Jiaze's hand. “Hello, for some personal reasons, I hope to stay the night in the zoo. Not in an exhibit hall, of course. It would be best if you could provide a room. I can pay you via mobile phone. I'll give you a hundred thousand first. Would five hundred yuan per night be enough?”

Hearing this, Duan Jiaze was completely convinced he was crazy. He chuckled and said, “I'm sorry, we don't offer that kind of service here, but I know a place I can recommend to you.”

Duan Jiaze gestured for Xu Chenggong and Liu Bin to restrain the man first. He also took out his phone, preparing to call the sub-district official.

This person clearly looked like a homeless man with mental issues. Duan Jiaze wouldn't take him in, but he couldn't just let him sleep outside either; that wouldn't be in the spirit of the current civilized city initiative. Duan Jiaze did remember that he could contact the sub-district officials to send the man to a hospital or a shelter.

Huang Qi took a step back, looking at Duan Jiaze in astonishment. He suddenly remembered something and smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes—though it was useless—and said urgently, “I can pay you first, Mr. Zoo Director. Let me have your QR code...”

Duan Jiaze: “Buddy! We have enough abnormal things here already. You should really go to the hospital!”

Huang Qi was already being held by Xu Chenggong and Liu Bin. He struggled, looking down to operate his phone, transferred the money to his WeChat wallet, and then desperately held it up for Liu Bin to see. “Look!”

Liu Bin glanced at it casually and saw the string of zeros after the number in the wallet balance. He almost peed his pants, thinking it was Photoshopped. He took the phone and swiped the screen, discovering it was a real WeChat page. He was instantly dumbfounded.

“Zoo Director! He's really rich!”

Duan Jiaze: “??”

Duan Jiaze was about to dial the number. He ran over, took a look, counted the digits in Huang Qi's 'wallet balance,' and was left speechless. Some mentally ill people look pretty much normal, they just talk nonsense. But since what Huang Qi said wasn't nonsense, maybe he really wasn't sick.

Duan Jiaze quickly had them release him. “My apologies—so, uh, is this how you rich people have fun nowadays? Are you on an incognito visit or just experiencing life?”

Huang Qi gave a bitter smile. “Let's just say that's it... My request is genuine. Could you allow me to stay here?”

Even though he wasn't crazy and was willing to pay, Duan Jiaze was still reluctant to let him stay. At night, everyone active in the zoo, except for himself, wasn't human. There was a definite chance of scaring this gentleman.

So Duan Jiaze could only glance reluctantly at his phone (at the money inside) and say, “I'm sorry, we really don't accommodate guests, and we don't take in outsiders at night.”

Huang Qi: “I can add more money!”

Duan Jiaze said, enduring the pain, “This isn't about money...”

Huang Qi looked crestfallen and glanced around. “Yes, if you could build this place, you wouldn't be short on this little bit of money.”

Duan Jiaze: 'I am short! I am!!'

Huang Qi gritted his teeth. He really didn't dare to take the risk. Cape Mountain was right next door. If he was outside the zoo, the vengeful spirit would have nothing to fear... But if he told the Zoo Director the truth now, wouldn't he be kicked out as a lunatic again?

Huang Qi suddenly recalled from his tour during the day that the zoo seemed to have few staff members. So he said earnestly, “Are you hiring here? If I get hired, I wouldn't be an outsider, right?”

Duan Jiaze looked at him, dumbfounded. “Well...” 'We are hiring, but we can't let him stay the night.'

Huang Qi: “You can look at my resume. I have a master's degree from a top-tier university, eight years of work experience, and have participated in and managed projects with a maximum value of over two billion...”

Duan Jiaze: “............”

Liu Bin and Xu Chenggong were stunned. If what Huang Qi said was true, then in their eyes, the Zoo Director should hire him. What a great help he would be.

But what was on Duan Jiaze's mind was: 'Yousu's resume: no formal education, but three to four thousand years of life experience, and participated in overthrowing a dynasty, which, if converted to money, would probably be far more than two billion...'

Duan Jiaze continued, enduring the pain, “No, we don't want you.”

Huang Qi was also stunned. He said mournfully, “Zoo Director, Zoo Director, I don't need a salary! I... I'll pay you five thousand... no, ten thousand yuan a month, is that okay? If you agree, I'll transfer a year's worth right now and then resign from my previous company!”

What was this amount of money? He had spent far more than this on medical treatments and ritual services.

Duan Jiaze: “............”

Liu Bin and Xu Chenggong stared strangely at Duan Jiaze. This whole thing was just too bizarre. An elite professional was crying and begging to sleep in a zoo, even willing to pay to work here. Money aside, their Zoo Director was always complaining about being short-staffed, yet now he was adamantly refusing.

Could this guy be an undercover agent sent by a competitor? No, that's not right. Does their zoo even have any competitors at this stage?

Liu Bin suddenly said something startling: “Are you a fan of the Arctic foxes?”

His words were a wake-up call. Duan Jiaze and Xu Chenggong suddenly felt they understood why this man was so desperate to be here. The Arctic foxes had so many fans; it seemed plausible that among them there would be a zealous one, someone whose daily life was overly stressful, who wanted to take this chance to relax.

Even Huang Qi paused for a moment before nodding. Although that wasn't the reason, that Arctic fox really did make him feel healed.

Seeing that refusing now would only arouse suspicion, Duan Jiaze thought it over and said dryly, “Well, alright then. But before that, I need to confirm your identity, to see if you're a legitimate person...”

Huang Qi didn't hesitate. “Feel free to check. In fact, you can find information about me online. If you have connections at the Public Security Bureau, you can check my records. If not, I can help make the connection.”

This was too sincere. Duan Jiaze had no choice but to say, “Um... but I don't have any accommodations for now. If you insist on staying, can you sleep in the infirmary at the visitor service center for the time being?”

'Actually, checking his criminal record isn't important. He wasn't afraid of bad people, he was just afraid that if a bad person was played to death by Yousu, he would be the one held responsible...'

Huang Qi nodded vigorously. “Yes, no problem!”

Duan Jiaze scratched his head. “Then it's settled... We'll have a formal interview tomorrow.”

Afraid that Duan Jiaze would go back on his word, Huang Qi immediately transferred one hundred and twenty thousand yuan to his WeChat. Liu Bin and Xu Chenggong were left speechless. If this person really had bad intentions, he was certainly willing to spend a lot of capital.

Duan Jiaze was even more speechless. The guy had paid before the interview. If he didn't pass, Duan Jiaze would have to refund him. Of course, with these conditions, it was unlikely he wouldn't pass the interview. The man was literally paying to work; he could just be a greeter, which required no technical skills.

There was just one problem: this person insisted on staying here at night. Otherwise, Duan Jiaze would have welcomed all of Yousu's fans to come work here. It would be even better if they all paid to work like Huang Qi. He could get rich in just a few years.

......

Having resolved this major issue, Huang Qi finally had the mood to look at his phone. There were over a hundred missed calls and countless unread text messages and WeChat messages. He thought for a moment and called back one of the missed numbers, which belonged to his deputy.

“Xiao Wang, it's Huang Qi.”

“I've decided to resign. No, I'm changing jobs. I'll fax over my resignation letter. I'll need to entrust you with handling some procedures for me then. Also, please mail my personal belongings to me.”

On the other end, Xiao Wang said in shock, “Brother Huang? You... where are you changing jobs to?”

Huang Qi had been missing for several days. The company couldn't reach him at all and was about to call the police. They never expected Huang Qi to call back himself, only to announce his resignation as soon as he spoke.

Huang Qi: “...A private enterprise.”

Xiao Wang couldn't help but ask, “Brother Huang, how much are they offering you? That you're willing to leave this place?”

Huang Qi: “...”

Hearing the silence, Xiao Wang said, “If it's inconvenient for you to say, just pretend I never asked.”

Huang Qi: “Ten thousand.”

Xiao Wang: “What? Ten thousand?! Bro, you... you... what can you even do with ten thousand? They're only paying you a salary of ten thousand? Is there also a commission and bonus? How is that calculated?”

Huang Qi: “No, I'm the one giving them ten thousand...”