Screams erupted, instantly shifting the audience's focus from the elephant in the arena to the spectator stands.
Among the crowd, a young boy, no older than three or four, had somehow climbed onto a nearby railing.
The railing was already three to four meters high, and the organizing committee, prioritizing the safety of spectators and anticipating potential incidents during the competition, had temporarily added over a meter more.
This brought the total height of the railing to nearly five meters, a height designed to ensure absolute safety even if an animal were to lose control.
However, the committee had clearly only considered the animals and not the spectators.
They could never have imagined a "problem child" climbing to such a height.
Thus, as everyone witnessed the scene, a collective gasp of alarm swept through the crowd.
"Holy crap, how did this kid climb up there? Even I, an adult, couldn't manage that."
"I'm more curious what the kid's parents were doing, only noticing him when he got this high."
"I used to dare to climb this high as a kid, even jump from this height, but now, not in a million years."
"Hurry and rescue him, get that child down!"
"Little friend, come down quickly, don't fall later."
"Baby, come down slowly, climb down carefully."
At that moment, the gaze of the entire venue was fixed on the mischievous child. Yet, it was precisely because of this attention that the boy, who had previously climbed with ease, inexplicably felt a surge of fear.
The next second, he burst into tears, lost his footing, and was on the verge of falling.
But at the last instant, he suddenly grabbed the railing with his right hand, his body hanging precariously in mid-air.
Seeing this, the onlookers gasped in unison, marveling at his peculiar climbing ability, his balance while walking on the railing, and his surprisingly strong arm grip.
Setting aside his "problem child" nature, his physical fitness was undeniable.
His parents, witnessing this, were nearly petrified with fright.
At such a height, a fall, while likely not fatal, could still result in an improbable but devastating accident.
Just then, a colossal figure began to approach from below the railing with heavy steps.
Before the boy could react, he felt something soft wrap around his body.
Curiosity piqued, he turned to look. The moment he saw the figure behind him, the fear on his face vanished without a trace.
"Hee hee, elephant, elephant!"
With the boy's excited shouts, his body was lifted high by the elephant below the stands. Soon, he was gently placed on its back.
The miraculous scene was quickly captured by the camera lenses and presented to countless spectators.
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.
"As expected, animals come to the rescue in crucial moments."
"Now I truly don't know whether to envy the child or the child more. I've never even ridden an elephant."
"You can climb onto the railing now and see if the elephant will save you."
"Forget it, the main problem is I can't climb up there anymore."
"I always heard stories about animals lending a hand to humans in critical times, and now I've finally seen it with my own eyes."
"Looking at it this way, installing this railing was us humans being overly cautious and underestimating them."
"Why does this scene suddenly feel so touching?"
"This mischievous child will probably remember this for the rest of his life."
Amidst the spectators' discussions, the elephant from the Xihong Zoo slowly and steadily carried the boy to the entrance of the stands.
The boy's parents were already waiting there.
As they watched the elephant gently place their child on the ground, their eyes welled up with emotion. Regardless of whether the elephant understood, they poured out their heartfelt thanks.
What further amused everyone was when the boy's father abruptly pushed his son to the ground.
"Quick, Xiao Jun, recognize your godfather. This elephant is your godfather from now on."
"When you were little, the fortune teller said you would face a great calamity at the age of four, and the one who saved you would be your godfather."
Although the young boy looked slightly confused, perhaps out of reverence for the elephant, he immediately kowtowed three times to the elephant and called it "godfather" three times.
This turn of events was clearly unexpected by everyone present, as well as those watching the live stream.
Soon, peals of laughter filled the air.
"This is hilarious! What kind of custom is this, recognizing an elephant as a godfather?"
"Don't laugh, it's quite normal. Where I come from, there's a saying that some children are born with a poor destiny and weak fate, so they recognize those with strong destinies as godfathers."
"I can vouch for this. My brother did the same. When he was born, he recognized the old tree at the village entrance as his godfather. Later, when the village was widening the road, they cut down his godfather."
"You wouldn't believe my godmother was a stool?"
"Hmph, my godfather was a large rock on the mountainside. Later, I watched with my own eyes as my godfather was blown into the sky with dynamite."
"It's a good thing, he recognized a godfather that others would never have the chance to."
"Indeed, this is probably the 'hardest' godfather among all, unless he dies of old age naturally, he won't be gone prematurely."
"Does this really work? If it does, I might as well take my child to Xihong Zoo to recognize the giant tortoise there as his godfather."
"Yours is even more ruthless. By the time the zoo is gone, your child's godfather will still be around."
As the laughter continued, what could have been a disastrous incident instantly transformed into a heartwarming story.
It was believed that by tomorrow, it would be a major sensation online.
However, the competition's progression was not significantly affected.
After the previous event's winners had received their awards, the announcer's voice echoed through the venue once more.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the shot put competition has just concluded. We will now proceed to the final event in athletics – the long jump."
"And for this event, Xihong Zoo has sent three contestants. Let's give a warm welcome to these three animal athletes!"
As the announcer finished speaking, the entire audience became curious.
Sending out three animals at once was something they hadn't seen since the relay race.
"Which three animals will it be?"
This question simultaneously arose in everyone's minds.
ps: Updating early today to see if I can squeeze out another chapter, aiming for a total of seven.