Undoubtedly, Dolphin Island had become a sensation.
After spontaneous propagation by netizens, Dolphin Island, with its four whales and thousands of dolphins, had instantly become the most anticipated tourist attraction in the entire Dragon Country.
Almost every day, netizens flocked to the official website of Xihong Zoo, urging the management to expedite the construction of Dolphin Island.
As the zoo director, Yang Lin also wished to proceed. Upon returning to Xihong Zoo, he immediately contacted a specialized company to draft a development plan for the first phase of Dolphin Island.
However, it was at this very moment that the Guangxi Tourism Planning Bureau proactively approached him.
After listening to their intentions, Yang Lin's spirits soared.
"Director Xu, are you saying that the development of Dolphin Island will be undertaken by the authorities and funded by the Tourism Planning Bureau?"
"That's correct. The development of Dolphin Island is now of paramount importance to the higher authorities. Not only the development of Dolphin Island, but also the establishment of a dedicated tourist route for Dolphin Island has been put on the agenda."
In the director's office, a middle-aged man in a black jacket responded to Yang Lin's questions while presenting a document.
"Furthermore, the authorities have granted Dolphin Island a three-year tax exemption period and a certain amount of financial support. They also require us to assist Director Yang in making Dolphin Island the second Xihong Zoo."
Hearing Director Xu's words, coupled with the official document before him, an irrepressible smile spread across Yang Lin's face.
He had initially been worried about having too many projects to oversee, but unexpectedly, the Guangxi authorities had delivered such a generous gift so quickly.
It was understandable, though. Given the current popularity of Dolphin Island and the marine life in the surrounding waters, it would undoubtedly be a 5A-rated scenic spot even without development.
It would serve as Guangxi's tourism calling card, capable of boosting the entire region's tourism industry.
Compared to other coastal cities, Guangxi's development had been relatively slow. Now, with such an opportunity, the Guangxi authorities were naturally determined to seize it.
According to the Tourism Planning Bureau, the construction of Dolphin Island had entered the bidding phase, and construction units were expected to commence work before the end of the year.
If all went according to plan, it would officially open to the public by May Day next year.
Upon hearing this excellent news, Yang Lin immediately invited the staff from the Tourism Planning Bureau to stay for a meal.
Just as he was seeing them off, Chen Kexin came bounding into the office.
"Cousin, cousin, someone's delivered more goods to us."
"They even used a refrigerated truck. Could it be seafood?"
"Quick, tell me, is this the holiday gift package you prepared for us?"
Hearing Chen Kexin's words, a hint of surprise flickered across Yang Lin's face.
"Seafood? What seafood? I didn't order any seafood."
"Not seafood?"
"Let's go and see."
With that, Yang Lin, filled with curiosity, headed towards the entrance of Xihong Zoo.
As soon as he reached the gate, two refrigerated trucks appeared before him.
The tourists, however, seemed unfazed, as purchasing frozen meat for the zoo's numerous animals was a common occurrence.
Upon seeing Yang Lin, the tourists greeted him enthusiastically.
"Director Yang, is this the New Year's meat supply for the animals?"
"Can you recommend where you ordered it? The meat for the animals should be natural, right?"
"Yes, yes, the animals at Xihong Zoo eat very healthily."
"By the way, what kind of meat is inside? If it's a large quantity, could you spare some for us?"
"It's almost New Year's, perfect for making sausages."
...
As everyone gathered around, a refrigerated truck driver approached Yang Lin with a delivery manifest.
"Director Yang, I'm from Da'e Cold Chain. We're delivering 50 penguins to your esteemed zoo on behalf of the Guangxi Wildlife Protection Association."
Hearing the refrigerated truck driver's words, Yang Lin suddenly remembered the promise made to him by the Wildlife Protection Association before he went out to sea.
"How could I have forgotten about this?"
Muttering to himself, Yang Lin immediately signaled the driver to open the refrigerated compartments.
Soon, the doors of the two refrigerated trucks were slowly opened.
The tourists, at this point, still hadn't grasped the situation.
As they all turned their gaze into the truck beds, a group of little fellows, dressed in black tuxedos like gentlemen, appeared.
Seeing these adorably clumsy little creatures, every tourist's face lit up with surprise.
"Wow, it's penguins!"
"So many penguins! Are they new members of Xihong Zoo?"
"Will they recharge QQ coins?"
"Director Yang, where did you buy them? I want one too."
"You want to buy one? And keep it in your home refrigerator?"
"I had one before, but it starved to death."
"There are so many, if I sneak one home, Director Yang probably won't even know."
"Why is there one penguin in there that looks so ugly and gray, and so fat?"
"You know nothing! That's a penguin chick."
"It's so big, and you call it a chick."
...
Just as everyone was excitedly anticipating the arrival of these little guests from the Antarctic, the penguins inside the truck seemed startled.
The next moment, under the watchful eyes of the tourists, the penguins began to jump out of the refrigerated trucks one after another.
Soon, they scattered in all directions, their escape speed completely overturning Yang Lin's perception of penguins.
Seeing 50 penguins collectively break free, Yang Lin quickly shouted:
"Don't let them get away! Catch one and you'll get a free ticket, including admission to the aquarium."
After saying this, he immediately grabbed a plump penguin that was running towards the park exit.
Upon hearing Yang Lin's reward, the tourists present immediately became enthusiastic and joined the penguin hunt.
The scene became incredibly lively.
It took another half an hour to round up all the penguins.
In just that short period, Yang Lin had already given away 50 bundled tickets, each worth 99 yuan.
Rounding up, that was a loss of 5,000 yuan.
Looking at the group of penguins, who were now caught and looked defiant, Yang Lin could only sigh:
"I haven't even made money from you yet, and I've already incurred an expense. Penguins are indeed cash-guzzling beasts."
After his sigh, he quickly realized a problem: there seemed to be no place to house these penguins.
Unlike other animals, penguins, which live in extremely low temperatures year-round, would surely suffer health issues if kept at normal temperatures for extended periods.
Most zoos would even build a dedicated penguin house, creating an icy, snowy environment within.
However, Xihong Zoo currently lacked the conditions for such an setup.
"Do I really have to get a giant refrigerator to put these guys in?"
Just as Yang Lin was pondering this dilemma, good news arrived from the other animal city project.