As the days passed, the Xue Long sailed from the Arctic Ocean into the Atlantic, and then from the Atlantic into the Pacific.
Twelve days later, on April 28th, the Xue Long officially docked at the port of Modu.
Even before the Xue Long's arrival, countless citizens and media outlets who had received the news were already waiting at the port.
As the people on board disembarked one by one from the gangway, the port immediately erupted with warm applause and cheers, and the sound of camera shutters was like a rainstorm.
This scene reached its climax when Yang Lin appeared.
After all, Yang Lin was accompanied by the group of animals he had "kidnapped" from the North Pole.
"Park Director Yang, welcome home!"
"Director Yang, can I get an autograph? Sign it on my face!"
"Director Yang, are you looking for a girlfriend? Guaranteed sweet!"
"Director Yang, I want to have your babies."
"I've been a fan for ten years. I started following you when I was a child."
"On such an important day, why not give away a few tickets randomly?"
"Speaking of which, aren't the people next to Director Yang his parents?"
"Judging by their looks, they must be. But it feels like Director Yang didn't completely inherit his parents' good genes."
"Auntie, I'm your son's boyfriend!"
"Why call her auntie? You should call her Mom!"
...
"Mom and Dad, do you see? These are all my fans. They came specifically to pick me up," Yang Lin said proudly as he pushed Yang Dad's wheelchair on the gangway.
However, his tone immediately changed when he heard the content of the fans' shouts.
"Haters, they're all haters!"
"Mom, don't listen to them."
On the other hand, Yang Mom showed complete understanding upon hearing these words.
"What's the big deal? I'm not an old-fashioned person, I understand."
"Do I look like someone who cares about race, nationality, or gender?"
Upon hearing Yang Mom's words, Yang Lin thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.
"Wait, that doesn't sound right."
...
An hour later, after sending off the animals in dedicated vehicles, Yang Lin and his parents boarded a plane to Ningnan.
In just four hours, the family of three successfully arrived at the Xihong Zoo.
Returning to Ningnan Zoo after two months, Yang Lin felt a sense of unreality, as if he had traveled through time.
Especially when he drove towards the zoo and saw the drastically changed exterior.
Two months ago, there was only a hint of spring outside the park.
But now, the trees were lush, the flowers were in full bloom, and the air was filled with a rich floral fragrance.
From afar, a high wall formed by vibrant flowers encircled the entire park, resembling a fairy tale world.
Bees, butterflies, various birds, and visitors enjoying the spring added countless colors and vitality to this fairy tale world.
This scene completely stunned Yang Dad and Yang Mom.
After a moment of stunned silence, they both asked with doubt in their tone:
"Son, did you drive into someone else's scenic spot? This isn't our zoo, is it?"
"Yeah, when did Ningnan have a place like this?"
Under their doubtful gaze, Yang Lin started the car again.
"It's not wrong, this is our zoo. Look, there's a sign over there."
Upon hearing Yang Lin's words, Yang Dad and Yang Mom immediately glanced at a large tree by the roadside.
On the trunk of this tree hung a long iron sign.
The iron sign clearly read two lines of text:
Xihong National Nature Ecological Reserve.
Xihong Wildlife Park.
Seeing these two lines, they exchanged glances, and disbelief was evident in their eyes.
"This really is our zoo."
As they murmured to themselves, a gate, also entwined with flowers and vegetation, appeared before them.
Above the gate, the familiar "Xihong Zoo" lettering reappeared.
"Let's go, I'll show you the Xihong Zoo of today."
With a proud tone, Yang Lin signaled the staff to open the employee passage next to the gate.
Soon, Yang Lin drove into the park.
As the car slowly drove along the main road of the zoo, a dreamlike scene unfolded before Yang Dad and Yang Mom.
Forests, grasslands, flower beds, treehouses, railway tracks, lakes, wetlands.
Interspersed with these diverse landscapes were lively little animals.
A family of three giraffes leisurely strolling, koalas napping on eucalyptus trees, hippos playing in the pond, lions walking on the road.
Every time an animal appeared, the couple felt a pang in their hearts, fearing that these animals might suddenly attack.
Of course, they were even more worried about the tourists interacting with the animals. One child was even resting his head on a tiger's body.
However, they soon realized their worries were unnecessary.
Because during the interactions between tourists and animals, these animals not only showed no vigilance or resistance but were also very calm, clearly accustomed to this life.
More astonishing than all of this were the animal riders who occasionally galloped past their car.
Wild boar riders, alpaca riders, ostrich riders, camel riders...
One might think they had stumbled into a Western fantasy game.
The couple believed that they had traveled to every corner of Blue Star over the years and had seen all sorts of strange and peculiar things.
But those experiences paled in comparison to the Xihong Zoo before them.
Their homecoming had become akin to Liu姥姥 entering the Grand View Garden.
Before they could recover from the earth-shattering changes at Xihong Zoo, an old-fashioned steam train slowly approached on the railway track beside them.
"Zoo Gate Station. Passengers who need to alight, please do so. Next stop, Xiongling."
"Welcome to the Xihong Nature Reserve Railway, and thank you for riding with us..."
It was only when the electronic announcement from the station beside them played that Yang Dad and Yang Mom recovered from the immense shock.
As soon as they regained their senses, they both turned their gaze to Yang Lin.
"Don't look at me, I don't even know when this train started operating. If you want to ride it, I'll ask when I get back."
As soon as Yang Lin finished speaking, the couple shook their heads.
"That's not what we're asking. We want to know, how much money does the zoo make in a day now?"
"That, I don't know yet. But with all sorts of miscellaneous income combined, making tens of millions a day should be no problem."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Dad and Yang Mom's mouths dropped open in unison.