In this age of resurgent spiritual power, divine beasts are gradually awakening as well. Xia Shi is the divine beast Bai Ze, but she doesn't have a penny to her name, so she has no choice but to work diligently like everyone else.
She chooses to work as a veterinary doctor. As Bai Ze, whose very presence makes “all beasts bow their heads,” she finds that the cattle and sheep on the grasslands freeze in place whenever they see her, making it easy to give them shots and treat their illnesses. Impressed by her excellent work, the grassland chief says:
“We have a poorly run zoo. We’re counting on you to turn it around.”
Xia Shi: “?”
The moment she steps into the zoo, a System voice sounds in her ear: “The Shan Hai System has rebooted. Divine beast Bai Ze detected. Main quest unlocked: rescue the poor animals and bring the zoo back to life.”
Xia Shi: “I’ve been asleep for a thousand years. Has the world really advanced this much?”
In the abandoned zoo, the tigers don't have enough fresh meat to eat, and every rib shows beneath their sagging fur;
The crested hawk-eagle huddles on a wooden perch, constantly plucking out its own feathers, leaving barely a patch of unbroken skin;
In the panda pavilion, yet another puppy yaps, its eyes ringed with two black circles.
Xia Shi: “Why is there a dog in the zoo?”
The director: “That’s a panda. Look at its dark circles.”
In any case, Xia Shi takes on this formidable task and recruits a host of mythical creatures, including Bi Fang and the Nine-Tailed Fox, to help run the zoo. She vows to save all the fuzzy animals!
Under the divine beasts' attentive care, the animals soon start doing much better:
Kangaroos so full they suddenly start brawling; giraffes slapping each other with their long necks in group fights;
The scarlet macaws and cockatoos that wave their wings and loudly say “Bye-bye” to visitors when they clock off;
The white-faced capuchins who love tightrope walking and break into dance without warning, and the giant pandas who love escaping.
People soon learn about this fascinating zoo online and flock there to visit. In this way, Xia Shi finally turns the zoo's losses into profits, and the animals thrive.
The comprehensive carnivore area features Lion Garden, Tiger Forest, and Bear Valley. Visitors can stand inside glass tunnels and get “up close” to the predators.
The reptile and amphibian pavilion is just like a tropical rainforest. Visitors have to wear rainforest exploration outfits as they pass the crocodile pool and reptile habitats. It's a paradise for niche enthusiasts.
Different areas also have their own restaurants. The aquarium has a romantic Western-style restaurant where diners can watch fish glide through the blue water behind the glass; the carnivore zone has a barbecue restaurant; and you can buy healthy snacks modeled after animal food, such as panda steamed buns and giraffe granola bars.
There are also special merchandise for celebrity animals, educational talks and creative products about the animal kingdom, animal adoption services, and themed holiday events waiting for you here.
The zoo Xia Shi takes over not only becomes the best in the industry, but also a leader in animal breeding and rescue. It becomes a huge hit!
[Interlude]
Nine-Tailed Fox: “Director, you wanted to see me?”
Xia Shi, so busy that smoke is practically coming out of her head: “Yes, yes. I need your help with something.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox takes a deep breath. “Director, though we Nine-Tailed Foxes are good at shapeshifting, our ancestors took the forms of Daji and Tamamo-no-Mae... Asking me to turn into a panda or a Chinese sturgeon to attract visitors is asking me to go against my ancestors. I won't accept this kind of assignment again!”
Xia Shi smiles broadly as she pours him a cup of tea. “I swear in the name of the Yellow Emperor, this time I absolutely won't ask you to turn into a panda or a Chinese sturgeon.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox's expression softens.
Xia Shi: “The dinosaur pavilion is about to open. We need a Tyrannosaurus rex, a velociraptor, a triceratops, and a Chinese dragon. Pick one for yourself.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox: “?”
Xia Shi: “Actually, never mind. You can be the Tyrannosaurus rex. It sounds more imposing.”
Theme: Protecting animals is everyone's responsibility
