"Ladies and gentlemen, today's competition has come to an end, and our events will continue as scheduled tomorrow."
"However, before we officially conclude, the organizing committee, along with the Xihong Zoo, has prepared a small surprise for everyone."
Upon hearing the word "surprise," the audience's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"Another surprise? What could it be, a lottery?"
"Could they be giving us free tickets to Xihong Zoo?"
"What are you thinking? How could they be so generous? The zoo director would go broke."
"A Shidifu plushie for everyone?"
"Didn't we get one when we entered? Why do you need another?"
"I have twins at home, and one isn't enough. We'd be fighting when we get back."
"That's highly unlikely. A Shidifu plushie is already selling for almost a hundred yuan online. With so many people here, giving one to each person would cost millions."
Not only were the live audiences speculating, but so were those watching the livestream.
"Are they giving away more things? That makes us who aren't there feel like we're missing out!"
"So jealous! I knew I should have gotten a ticket no matter what, even standing room would have been fine."
"I feel like I've lost hundreds of billions. If they have this next year, I'll definitely grab a ticket early."
"What is this surprise, tell us already!"
...
As all the spectators eagerly awaited this final surprise, the venue's lights suddenly dimmed.
The next second, under the gaze of countless eyes, a massive forest projection appeared in the center of the arena.
As the projection materialized, figures of small animals began to emerge from the forest.
Tigers, lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, Tibetan antelopes, alpacas, chimpanzees, leopards... all the animals that had participated today, and those that hadn't, reappeared before the audience.
At this moment, both large and small, carnivorous and herbivorous animals displayed their most primal and authentic selves.
Harmony, tranquility, and nature, like a picturesque scroll of the natural world.
Such scenes might have appeared countless times in movies, but they were unprecedented in reality.
The calls of various animals echoed and intertwined.
The roar of lions, the growl of tigers, the cry of eagles, all blended together, like a symphony of nature.
For a moment, everyone was mesmerized. The awe inspired by these myriad living creatures was far more profound than any form of performance.
And at this moment, a group of human performers slowly walked over.
Some held trumpets, others held violins, and a few even brought a grand piano.
Soon, dozens of human performers seamlessly integrated with the animals.
Just as everyone expected the human performers to take center stage, they began handing some instruments to the animals.
Elephants holding drumsticks, Shidifu holding trumpets, and Master Qiang holding violins.
The two raccoons, who had appeared at the beginning, now climbed onto the piano.
Suddenly, these animals began to play along with the human performers.
Although they couldn't perfectly grasp the rhythm and melody of the music, no one paid attention to that at this moment.
At this instant, the boundaries between animals and humans seemed to dissolve, with no separation between them.
The music of animals and humans blended perfectly together.
This was the true sound of nature, a symphony of life composed by the creatures of Planet Blue.
Only when the entire performance concluded did the audience slowly snap back to reality.
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.
These were, without exception, entirely heartfelt claps.
The applause continued for a full few minutes before gradually subsiding.
Meanwhile, in the online livestream, the chat exploded with countless comments flying across the screen like laser beams.
"Just one word: amazing."
"I've seen many animal performances, but this is the first time I've seen something so profoundly moving."
"So, humans and animals can truly coexist harmoniously."
"If this scene had appeared earlier, perhaps many animals wouldn't be extinct by now."
"Indeed, humans are the dominant species on Planet Blue, but if only humans remained on the entire planet, it would be too lonely."
"I truly hope this scene isn't a one-off, and that our future generations won't only see these animals through video recordings."
"The organizing committee and Director Yang have put their hearts into this."
"Surely, no keyboard warriors will criticize this as an animal performance that suppresses their natural instincts."
"Anyone who criticizes this would likely be flamed to death themselves."
"This alone was worth the ticket price. My trip to Ningnan is now complete and without regret."
"I hope zoos nationwide will emulate Xihong Zoo."
...
With the conclusion of this grand performance, the first day of the competition officially ended.
Unsurprisingly, almost every platform's homepage was filled with news related to the first day's events.
Looking around, the video trending charts were no longer dominated by celebrity couples or baseless accusations of infidelity. Instead, they were entirely filled with news about animals.
The posts came from personal accounts, marketing accounts, and even official media.
The highest trending topic remained the high praise from the Dragon Country Daily for the final performance of humans and animals playing the harmony of nature.
Faced with such an outcome, the high-ranking officials of Ningnan City were naturally ecstatic.
This further solidified their determination to transform Ningnan into a city of ecology and nature.
Before long, these officials held a meeting and made a decision concerning the future development of Ningnan.
Not long after their decision, Yang Lin, who was organizing the animals' return home, received a phone call.
When he heard what Director Nie on the other end of the line had to say, he was utterly dumbfounded.
"You mean, the city is going to lease the original city zoo's land directly to our Xihong Zoo?"
"And that's not all? They're leasing the adjacent commercial land to us as well?"
"I think we should pass. We only have so many animals, and we don't need such a large area."
"Free lease? Then never mind. I do think the animals in Xihong Zoo are a bit cramped right now."
...
Even after the call ended, Yang Lin still felt like he was dreaming.
The city was directly leasing the city zoo and the adjacent commercial land to him for free.
If all that land were used for construction, it would likely be worth hundreds of billions.
His zoo, at best, only paid a few million in taxes annually.
Shaking his head and pushing aside thoughts that were not his to ponder, Yang Lin's gaze turned to the animals being loaded into their transport.
"My friends, you all performed exceptionally well today. Let's go back for an extra meal!"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the animals in the vicinity responded with a chorus of sounds.
Simultaneously, a stream of system notification sounds began to appear in Yang Lin's mind like a screen full of messages.