Chapter 4: Reward, White Bengal Tiger!
For Jiaojiao, she had grown accustomed to having a barrier of iron bars between her and people.
She couldn't reach the people outside, and the people outside couldn't reach her, which was quite good.
Now that the barrier of bars was gone and someone was so close, Jiaojiao didn't know what it meant and became nervous and uneasy.
Although it wasn't a stranger, but a familiar animal keeper.
She let out a low growl as a warning.
Actually, both sides were a bit afraid.
Fang Ye kept his smile but withdrew the foot he had stepped forward halfway back.
After a while, perhaps feeling that there really was nothing to worry about, Jiaojiao slowly lay back down and cocked her head to look at Fang Ye.
"Phew! The director is so amazing!"
Outside the enclosure, Lan Li gently patted her chest, her head spinning; she felt her heart had almost leaped into her throat just moments before.
A cold sweat had formed on Fang Ye's back as well, but his mood was exceptionally excited.
The most difficult first step had been taken, Jiaojiao had adapted to his presence!
In the Eye of Observation, Jiaojiao's status displayed: Curious/Expectant.
Usually alone in the tiger enclosure, Jiaojiao was very lonely!
She didn't mind the visitors when there were few of them.
She, too, watched the various visitors to pass the time.
But when there were too many visitors, the loud and noisy sounds, the many overlapping gazes, would make her feel trapped and upset.
The times she enjoyed the most were before the zoo opened and after it closed.
Watching the familiar animal keepers clean the enclosure and feed her was a rare sight, and it was when she felt most relaxed and at ease.
Today, after the keeper had fed her, he had actually come to her side?
Fang Ye looked at Jiaojiao, who was curiously watching him, and squatted down beside her.
He spoke in a gentle voice, "Good girl, good girl..."
He stretched out his hand, placing it on Jiaojiao's tawny fur.
The moment Fang Ye touched her broad, warm back,
Jiaojiao's body suddenly shook as if electrified, her eyes widened, and she stood up from the ground, intimidating and majestic!
A true tiger's body shook!
She opened her wide mouth and let out a fierce roar, a hot, fishy wind hitting Fang Ye's face, making his eardrums ache!
Lan Li, who had been watching from outside the enclosure, let out a short cry of alarm, "Director!"
"It's okay! Don't panic!"
Fang Ye's voice sounded hoarse.
His facial muscles twitched twice as he looked at Jiaojiao staring back at him, trying to keep his gaze and voice as soft as possible, "Good girl, don't be afraid..."
He knew that the more crucial the moment, the less he should panic, staying still was the best choice!
If he were to make some wrong move in panic and cause the tiger to misunderstand, what was originally no issue could become a problem!
The Eye of Observation showed that Jiaojiao was nervous and uneasy, but not enraged!
For a long moment.
The tense emotion dissipated, leaving only unease.
Jiaojiao looked at Fang Ye and moved her head closer, gently rubbing his head with her cheek.
Lan Li's eyes widened in surprise, covering her mouth in disbelief.
Fang Ye's eyes slightly widened, then he wrapped his arm around Jiaojiao's neck, laughing weakly, with tears coming out.
He really wanted to laugh a bit louder.
His body quickly softened from its tensed state.
"Good girl, good girl..."
Jiaojiao taking the initiative to nuzzle was something Fang Ye had never expected!
He had intended to retreat this time after Jiaojiao's emotions settled down, waiting for the next opportunity to let her slowly get used to this kind of closeness by taking things one step at a time.
However, looking at Jiaojiao's expression, it seemed that she instinctively roared at him, and after her nervousness abated, she felt that what she did wasn't quite right.
Like a child who knows they've done something wrong, she felt uneasy and used the act of rubbing her head against him as a way of showing apology and affection.
"Damn, that's thrilling, like dancing on the edge of a knife..."
With a flush rising to his face, Fang Ye muttered to himself, beginning to stroke Jiaojiao's back with his still slightly trembling hands.
Although the analysis before was logical and he was full of confidence, idealism and reality are ultimately different matters.
Tigers, being apex predators, naturally possess an overwhelming deterrent power.
Even those raised in a zoo still retain the true nature of being the king of animals.
Fortunately, in the end, he withstood the pressure and successfully gained Jiaojiao's affection!
"I have to say, petting a big cat really feels amazing!"
Fang Ye chuckled, his hand gliding down from Jiaojiao's back, then boldly started to rub her cheeks.
The hair on the tiger's back is stiff and coarse, very thick, like a rough blanket, somewhat prickly to the touch.
Whereas, the light white fur on the cheeks and belly is fluffy and soft, feeling like touching a downy scarf.
At first, Jiaojiao was a bit uncomfortable with such affectionate stroking, baring her teeth, shaking her head, and growling quietly a few times, as if a human were sneezing because of an itch.
But she quickly grew fond of the sensation, her massive body lying languidly across Fang Ye's legs, contentedly narrowing her eyes.
Mood: Pleased!
Lan Li, watching from outside, was dumbfounded!
In her impression, tigers have always been majestic and ferociously intimidating creatures.
But the one inside, lying on the zoo director's legs, was as gentle as a kitty!
It must be a fake tiger, or so she thought!
The scene was too attractive; Lan Li watched intently without blinking, even forgetting her fear of tigers, and began to wonder what it would be like to touch a tiger herself.
Forget it, just thinking about it is terrifying!
If it were her in there, she would surely faint!
Lan Li had a sudden stroke of inspiration and said excitedly, "Right, such a precious scene should be captured in a photo!"
She quickly took out her phone and started snapping pictures with a "click, click, click."
Lost in the joy of petting the big cat, Fang Ye lost track of time and almost forgot why he had taken the risk to come in!
It wasn't until ten minutes later that the system's prompt sounded.
"Ding! Task 'Petting the Cat' completed! The tiger's mood is very pleased!"
"Completion evaluation: Perfect!"
"Reward obtained: One white Bengal tiger cub!"
Fang Ye snapped out of his reverie, "Eh? Has it been ten minutes already?"
Looking at the task reward, he was utterly shocked.
Holy shit, a white Bengal tiger!
The white Bengal tiger is a variant of the Bengal tiger, with a genetic mutation turning the natural orange-yellow fur with black stripes into white with black stripes.
Due to the lack of protective coloration, the white Bengal tiger struggles to survive in the wild and is extinct outside captivity; it can only reproduce and thrive under the care of zoos.
Worldwide, there are no more than 200 of them!
Due to their rarity and the fact that the White Tiger is one of the "auspicious beasts" alongside the Azure Dragon in mythology, they are beloved by visitors and undeniably stars of the zoo!
Fang Ye's emotions surged with excitement: "This is a jackpot!"
"Roar?"
Sensing that the petting had stopped, Jiaojiao opened her tiger eyes, her yellow, amber-like eyes fixed on him. She growled in dissatisfaction and raised her head to nudge him.
Patting Jiaojiao's head, Fang Ye laughed happily, "Soon, you're going to have a new friend!"