Inside Xihong Zoo, as the large hole leading to the city's wasteland appeared, a steady stream of curious tourists peered into it.
And within their gaze, a scene unfolded that defied all expectations.
Led by the silver fox and the golden retriever, a group of small animals followed closely behind.
Among these animals were families, like the hedgehogs and rabbits, moving in packs.
There were also those like the squirrels, accompanied by their companions.
And a variety of other small animals rarely seen on a daily basis, such as weasels, owls, and skunks.
These animals, as if aware they were leaving their homes, clung to those in front, lest they fall behind.
When this magical spectacle met the eyes of the tourists, they couldn't help but marvel.
Such a scene, they had only ever witnessed in cartoons; this was their first time seeing it in reality.
Though these animals were ordinary, not even endangered species, they brought a strong sense of novelty to everyone present.
Immediately, the tourists spontaneously created a pathway for the small animals to pass, and did not forget to raise their phones and recording devices to capture the moment.
It took a full fifteen minutes for all the animals to be moved into the temporary accommodations within Xihong Zoo.
Just as the tourists were preparing to leave and see the new animal arrivals, Yang Lin suddenly emerged from the hole.
When he crawled back in, he was holding a land tortoise the size of a washbasin.
Clearly, this land tortoise had fallen behind during the migration.
Seeing that the last animal had been brought over, Yang Lin promptly carried the tortoise towards the interior of the park. As he left, he casually found a piece of wood to block the opening.
With the relocation of the small animals from the wasteland now complete, the remaining tasks were to contact construction teams and companies.
According to his plan, the upcoming construction would not involve the old park. It only required the wasteland to be slightly modified and then connected to the city zoo, followed by some minor renovations. This would mark the completion of the second phase of Xihong Zoo's expansion.
At that point, Xihong Zoo's area would become the largest urban zoo in the entire Long Kingdom.
However, when Yang Lin presented his initial ideas to the construction company, their quotation left him stunned.
"How much did you say it would cost?"
"Eighty million? Are you kidding me? I'm expanding, not rebuilding after a war?"
"Large area? Only about a hundred football fields, and that's considered large?"
"Alright, alright, I'll think about it. I'll contact you again once I've decided."
As the phone call ended, Yang Lin felt a sense of existential doubt.
He had initially believed that after the zoo's surge in popularity, it would no longer be lacking in funds.
But now, it seemed money was still far from enough.
To date, Xihong Zoo's average daily revenue was around five hundred thousand, and with merchandise sales, it reached sixty-odd thousand.
Operating for an entire month brought in less than twenty million. After deducting food expenses for the animals, labor costs, and various miscellaneous expenses, the monthly surplus was around ten million, which still had to be taxed.
Calculated this way, it would take at least a few more months of hard work to complete the initial expansion.
And this was just the expansion. If they truly wanted to elevate the entire zoo's standard, the required funds would likely double.
"Still poor. Without money, how can I build the park?"
"Perhaps I should approach the authorities and ask for some support. It's Ningnan's new landmark, after all. I can't be expected to foot the bill alone."
Just as Yang Lin was about to make a call to inquire, his phone rang.
Seeing the unfamiliar number, a flicker of confusion crossed his face before he finally chose to answer.
"Director Yang, I'm from the Business Cooperation Department of Jiangtuan Takeaway. We contacted you before. This time, we're here to discuss endorsement matters. We're already at the zoo entrance. Is it convenient for us to come in and chat?"
Upon hearing the caller's introduction, Yang Lin suddenly recalled the business cooperation calls he had received a couple of days prior.
At that time, he had only had a preliminary discussion due to his preoccupation with the sports meet. He hadn't expected the brands to approach him so quickly.
"Just now I was worried about where to get money, and now it's coming to me."
With a hint of pleasant surprise, Yang Lin quickly replied:
"Yes, yes, where are you? I'll come and pick you up now."
After saying that, Yang Lin walked out of his office, still holding the land tortoise.
Before long, he led several well-dressed individuals, who were clearly business elites, into his office.
"Hello, Director Yang. I am Xu Changhai, head of the Business Cooperation Department at Jiangtuan Takeaway. We're here primarily to discuss the endorsement of your kangaroo, Li Gang."
"Additionally, we would like to invite Mr. Li Gang to film a promotional advertisement for our company. Here are the relevant agreements for you to review."
As he spoke, Xu Changhai produced a stack of agreements from a file bag and placed them before Yang Lin.
After a brief glance, Yang Lin's attention focused on the endorsement fees.
"Endorsement fee of 10 million, advertising filming fee of 2 million!"
Seeing these astonishing figures, Yang Lin felt as if countless construction materials were waving at him.
However, when he saw the specific details of the filming agreement, his brow furrowed slightly.
"You want to borrow Gangzi to film outside the province?"
"Yes, we've specifically hired a renowned director for this advertisement, so we may need to bring Mr. Li Gang to Yangcheng."
Xu Changhai explained earnestly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Yang Lin immediately proposed something that caught him off guard.
"Gangzi absolutely cannot go out of the province. He gets motion sickness."
"So, can we arrange it this way? We will film this advertisement for you."
"We'll film it right here in Xihong Zoo. We'll be responsible for the advertising creative and the filming process."
Hearing Yang Lin's proposal, Xu Changhai was momentarily stunned.
It took him a full half minute to react.
"You mean your zoo will film this advertisement?"
"Your zoo offers this service?"
Yang Lin's expression suddenly became incredibly serious as he met Xu Changhai's incredulous gaze.
"We didn't before, but starting today, we do."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Lin smoothed his hair and took out a graduation certificate from his desk.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself now."
"I, Yang Lin, am a bona fide graduate of a 211 university with a degree in directing and screenwriting. Running a zoo is my family's business; filmmaking was my original aspiration."
"If I hadn't returned to inherit the family business, I would already be one of the top young directors in the country."
Hearing Yang Lin's words, Xu Changhai and the Jiangtuan staff members looked at his graduation certificate with a mixture of skepticism and doubt.
The next second, they were shocked to discover that Yang Lin was indeed a graduate of directing and screenwriting.
However, they remained doubtful about Yang Lin's ability to produce a good animal advertisement.
Especially since the protagonist this time was a kangaroo.