As the branches snapped, the fist-sized growth, measuring a foot in diameter, crashed heavily to the ground from its perch over thirty feet up the tree.
Seeing this, Yang Lin immediately leaped to another tree nearby.
Below, the pack of already agitated wild boars was startled by the sudden fall of this large object.
Without time to think, the boars vented their fury on the giant growth.
In an instant, the growth disintegrated.
The next second, countless buzzing bodies, the size of thumbs, emerged from within, bearing golden rings – the Chinese giant hornets.
In the blink of an eye, a dark cloud composed of these hornets formed in the sky.
Their sheer numbers were staggering, likely in the hundreds of thousands.
Even from several hundred meters away, the sound of their wings beating was clearly audible.
Witnessing this, even Yang Lin, who had been prepared, felt goosebumps erupt all over his body.
If he were to be targeted by such a swarm, he would surely lose his life here.
Fortunately, at this moment, all the attention was focused on the wild boars.
In the eyes of these less intelligent hornets, the boars below were the culprits who had destroyed their nest.
Before the boars could react, thousands upon thousands of hornets descended upon the boar pack with terrifying momentum.
Suddenly, the boars, who feared nothing, began to flee frantically.
At this moment, even they felt the fear brought by the hornets.
As for elephant herds, territories, or food, none of it mattered anymore.
It wasn't just them; the elephant herd nearby was in the same situation.
The instant the hornets appeared, the elephant herd, led by their matriarch, began to flee towards another part of the sanctuary.
Even so, the boars were still unable to escape immediately.
On average, each boar was targeted by tens of thousands of hornets.
Even though they were covered in tough bristles and had pine sap on them, they were no match for the pervasive hornets.
Every area exposed beyond their natural defenses became a target for the swarm.
Before long, the already plump and robust boars became even fatter.
Their faces swelled so much that even their mothers wouldn't recognize them.
If it weren't for the hornets' relatively mild venom and the boars' own resistance, this attack might have wiped them out.
Even if they eventually escaped, they would likely need a considerable amount of time to recover.
As for this area by the stream, they would never dare to return, even if their lives depended on it.
The elephant herd was in the same predicament.
Thus, the entire nature reserve was effectively divided in two by this small stream.
The wild boar herd and the elephant herd each occupied one side, undisturbed by the other.
Watching both groups retreat, Yang Lin, hanging from the tree, let out a long sigh of relief.
"Indeed, there are no absolute rulers in nature. Even the mighty elephants and boars fear small creatures like hornets. It's a perfect cycle."
As he mused, the system's prompt sounded.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for perfectly completing the mission. Reward: 5 Talent Points, Skill - Basic Light of Life."
Seeing the mission completed, a smile appeared on Yang Lin's face.
Simultaneously, the forest police and relevant departments stationed outside the reserve saw the separation of the boar and elephant herds through the drones in the sky.
A cheer erupted from the scene.
"That's great, the boar herd and the elephant herd have moved apart. They're not fighting anymore."
"Thank goodness. If they had continued to fight, all the animals in the forest would probably have escaped."
"I think we should thank Director Yang. He must have intervened."
"We should indeed thank Director Yang. I wonder how he managed it."
"Did he really negotiate with the boars and elephants?"
"Who knows, but we can ask Director Yang when he comes out later."
"Director Yang is truly a lucky star for the people of Diannan. He's solved several major problems for us since arriving. I heard he also helped us crack a wildlife trafficking case yesterday."
"How should we thank Director Yang?"
"Maybe a bonus?"
"No, no, that's too stiff. Director Yang would never accept it. I'll talk to Director Song later and see if we can officially present some animals from the city of Kunming to the Xihong Zoo."
"Yes, yes, that's a good idea. Let's choose two elephants and two peacocks. They best represent the sentiments of the people of Diannan."
After much discussion, a plan was quickly decided upon.
Just as they finalized their plan, Yang Lin emerged from the reserve.
Seeing Yang Lin come out, everyone rushed to meet him.
While expressing their concern, they also voiced the questions that had been on their minds.
Yang Lin, in turn, recounted the entire incident in detail.
The crowd listened with amazement.
"As expected of Director Yang, to think of using hornets to deal with boars and elephants."
"Yes, experts are experts."
"Compared to boars, hornets are the true bullies of the forest."
"Director Yang is truly brilliant. You've made such a great contribution to our Diannan. We've also prepared a small token of our appreciation for you."
"Yes, yes, just a small token."
Yang Lin, who had been indifferent to the effusive praise, immediately perked up upon hearing about the "small token."
However, before he could inquire further about what this token might be, everyone was already busy returning the escaped animals to the reserve.
Before long, peace was restored within the reserve.
Thus, the morning passed. Just as Yang Lin was contemplating whether to visit the Diannan Zoo to check on Tuantuan's condition, a leader from the reserve approached him.
"Director Yang, after all your hard work, how about we have a simple meal together?"
"I happen to know a decent restaurant nearby that makes excellent wild mushrooms, not far from the city hospital."
Hearing this, Yang Lin's eyes lit up.
"Oh, yes, how can one visit Diannan without trying wild mushrooms? It's like going to Hubei and not eating Xiangnan stinky tofu."
"But why would a restaurant specializing in wild mushrooms be located next to the city hospital?"
He soon found out the answer to this question.
Two hours later, amidst the sounds of beeping, he was sitting in the infusion room of the city hospital, receiving an IV drip.
Looking at the leader of the reserve beside him, who was constantly fidgeting, a hint of disdain flickered across his lips.
At the same time, his eyes were drawn to the hopping Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of him.
"As expected of the Animal Kingdom. Heh heh, they even keep Tyrannosaurus Rex in the hospital."