All the animal tourists maintained a static posture, as if they had witnessed something extraordinary, watching the group of people enter.
Yuan Qingqing, holding her younger brother’s hand, positioned herself behind the person in the group who made her feel the most secure.
Jun Ci’s cold gaze swept over the animal tourists. He appeared even more formidable than they did.
Some of the more timid animal tourists averted their heads, their ears seeming to redden.
"This..."
Duan Chen’s mouth parted slightly as he uttered a sound. The moment he did, the animal tourists erupted into waves of hushed whispers.
"Heavens, what adorable creatures!"
"What species are they?"
"They look so small, and their noses are tiny. Their skin is yellow."
"Did you see their nails? Round, smooth, and a tender pink. They clearly have no aggressive intent; they must be herbivores."
"Nonsense, we herbivores also have sharp nails."
"Their hair is black, but it’s only in one place. How pitiful, could they have lost their hair?"
"..."
A flurry of whispers ensued.
Duan Chen was unsure whether to be grateful for his acute hearing.
He looked at his teammates. Their expressions varied, but a shared emotion of awkwardness permeated them all. It was evident they had clearly heard the animal tourists’ comments.
In the eyes of these animal tourists, they were perceived as just another species, no different from themselves, rather than the more noble humans.
Duan Chen sensed that something was amiss. The rules here seemed inverted. Or rather, the rules within the entire zoo were peculiar.
He observed the animal tourists, noting that none displayed any aggressive intent towards his group. He took a step forward, and with that movement, the astonishment in the animals’ eyes deepened. It was as if he were a toy doll meant for a display case, incapable of walking.
After a brief observation, Duan Chen ceased his scrutiny and led his teammates to a cage.
A plump rabbit had been trotting along with Duan Chen’s footsteps. Upon seeing Duan Chen approach the cage, it leaped directly in front of him.
"Aiya ya!!"
Duan Chen looked at the rabbit before him with surprise.
"Is that how rabbits sound?" Yuan Qingqing refuted indignantly.
"How is that possible? A rabbit’s cry sounds similar to a mouse's."
"What rabbit cries 'aiya ya'?"
"It sounds like it’s been stepped on."
The plump rabbit’s face contorted with a hint of embarrassment, but it continued to emit its peculiar rabbit-like cry, trying to attract Duan Chen and his team's attention.
Duan Chen had no choice but to crouch down and look at the rabbit. The rabbit’s mouth moved as if it wanted to say something, but he couldn’t understand a word. Frustrated, he tapped the cage.
Normally, a rabbit would be startled by such an action, but this one showed no signs of fear and continued to writhe.
Duan Chen suddenly remembered something. Casually, he spoke directly to the rabbit.
"Speaking of which, this rabbit should be considered an abnormal animal, shouldn't it?"
As the words left his lips, the rabbit before him visibly trembled, its small eyes widening with fear. The other animal tourists, whose attention was focused on Duan Chen, also turned their gaze to the rabbit upon hearing his remark. Their eyes fixed on it. Duan Chen clearly observed the rabbit’s body shaking with fear. This was significant.
The animal tourists chattered amongst themselves.
"That's right, this rabbit seems excessively obese."
"Its cry doesn't sound quite right."
"Is this a special mutated rabbit?"
"Mutated rabbits should be handed over to the staff to prevent them from corrupting all the other rabbits."
"We should capture this rabbit."
"Capture it, capture it!"
The plump rabbit’s eyes filled with despair. At that moment, Duan Chen spoke again.
"However, it’s possible I was mistaken. After all, some rabbits do cry 'aiya ya.'"
"And being fat actually looks quite good on a rabbit."
The animal tourists paused again upon hearing this.
"That seems correct."
"It does look rather good."
"I completely agree."
The plump rabbit’s body gave a slight shudder, then relaxed considerably. Duan Chen’s gaze, however, was unusually profound. He was absolutely certain this rabbit was different from the others, and equally certain it was the "abnormal animal" mentioned in the zoo's rules. Yet, this abnormal rabbit appeared far more spirited and lively than the normal ones, and possessed no aggressive nature. In fact, Duan Chen felt as though a human’s skin was concealed beneath this rabbit’s hide.
He remained impassive, saying no more. He led his teammates out of the rabbit enclosure and, without hesitation, entered the python exhibit. This time, however, their luck ran out. Outside the python exhibit, they encountered a staff member in a blue uniform. The staff member stared at them with unblinking eyes, holding a rabbit by its long ear. The rabbit was motionless, either dead or unconscious.
Duan Chen pursed his lips, not retreating from the blue-uniformed staff member’s intense gaze. The staff member then drew a dagger and, as they were about to flee, plunged it into the rabbit. Afterward, the blue-uniformed staff member approached them, holding the strangled rabbit, a smile on their face.
"Are you buying rabbits?"
"Ten rabbits for one badge."
"One rabbit can feed an eagle."
"Do you wish to buy rabbits?"
Abnormal. Extremely abnormal.
Yuan Yuan hesitated, unsure whether to speak. An urge compelled him to open his mouth, but he felt it was not the time to do so, lest it conjure unspeakable consequences.
The blue-uniformed staff member, receiving no response for a prolonged period, suddenly became agitated.
"Rabbits?"
"I asked if you want to buy rabbits!!"
"I only need one badge, give me a badge!!"