Chapter 108 Live Stream 2 - It's a Bear
Almost at the same moment the live stream started, the shuttle bus arrived.
The shuttle was an old, yellow four-wheel drive vehicle that creaked and groaned as it left a deep rut in the snow, its tires wrapped in ice chains, making a clattering sound.
The car stopped, and several burly men and women swarmed out.
The woman in the lead took off her hood, revealing a restrained face. She looked at the camera and then at you: "Are you... the person who's going to do a live broadcast today?" Her eyebrows were frosty, but her eyes were exceptionally clear as she asked in heavily accented English.
You were about to nod when you hesitated and looked at the girl next to you.
You received this girl's photo from your aunt; she's the live-streaming assistant they found.
She spoke first—her name was Anna, and she spoke the common flower language even better than many of your colleagues from all over the world, though her sentences always ended with a slight upward inflection.
"Hi, host, I'll take care of the live stream issues and the interaction, don't worry," Anna said, reaching out to take your phone.
You smiled slightly and nodded in response, but then pushed her hand away: "It will be easier to show the content if I control the camera."
Anna paused for a moment after hearing what you said, and then didn't insist.
She seemed very reliable, especially her voice, which was deliberately slow and soft when speaking to you. But when she turned to talk to the park staff, her tone became very cold and hard, as if she had changed her personality when she switched languages.
You remain silent and focus the camera on the staff members. Well, this could be considered a good opportunity to experience the local culture.
Sure enough, the comments section erupted with chatter about which guy was more handsome, and you found yourself happily pondering what to do next.
The live stream image is always a bit blurry. You should quickly adjust the parameters to make the image slightly brighter without overexposing it.
After exchanging pleasantries with the staff, you boarded the shuttle bus.
The train carriage was very warm, but the white world outside the window sent chills down my spine.
With nothing else to do, you chat casually with the viewers in the live stream: "Yeah, we'll be interacting with the bear up close in a bit, but don't worry, it'll be very safe."
The comments section was flooded with messages.
With a constant influx of new people, the same topics have been discussed countless times.
[Really? That sounds really wild...]
[The streamer's survival is the priority; don't go too far!]
[You guys are such a spoilsport! Domesticated bears are supposed to be very intelligent, right? There shouldn't be any major problems, right? The streamer should definitely show us properly.]
You patiently answered the new audience's questions about the trip again and again, while turning to Anna sitting next to you and half-jokingly asking, "Anna, I forgot to ask, are there any precautions for our bear enclosure? Do we need to greet the bears later?"
Anna smiled.
“Don’t count the bears,” she said. “As for the rest, just relax and do your live stream.”
You blinked, nodded, and didn't say anything more.
He twirled his phone slightly, glancing across Anna's face before turning it back out the car window.
But on the screen—
Anna's figure lingered for a long time, as if it were stuck to the screen by something, frozen for several seconds before slowly fading away as if melting.
You stare at the screen, explaining to the comments, "The signal isn't very good~" while your fingertips subtly tighten their grip on the edge of the phone.
The shuttle bus soon entered a low-lying fenced area.
The car slowed down, and the first sign for the bear park appeared outside the window.
The sign was askew, its paint chipped and peeling by the wind and snow, but one line of text was barely legible: "The bear is our friend, and your friend too." Anna was translating for you and the viewers in the live stream.
You point your phone at Anna every time she speaks.
She was a little shy, but you immediately conveyed the audience's desire to see Miss Rose, so she didn't say anything more.
Let's go back to the sign. The lettering looks like it was smeared with a finger, blurry, yet it stands out against the grimy background.
You are pondering those words.
"We've arrived," Anna whispered.
The car door opened, and a gust of cold wind swept in. You pulled your coat tighter, grabbed your phone, and got out of the car. The camera followed your movement, and the comments section immediately erupted with excitement:
Wow! It's a real bear enclosure!
[Host, slow down, don't fall! (Didn't you hurt your foot before? Be careful!)]
Am I the only one still wondering what that sign meant? It's so creepy…
You took out a pre-prepared emoji card that said "I'm fine" and waved it in front of the camera to thank the viewer named "Anchor's Toxic Fan".
The entrance to the bear enclosure was not the tall metal gate one might expect; instead, it consisted of a few thick iron pillars haphazardly arranged into a frame, with a tarpaulin draped over it.
A staff member in uniform stood at the door. He looked quite old, with a thick beard and an expressionless face.
The shuttle bus staff chatted with him for a few minutes, hugged him, and then left.
You stepped forward and politely greeted them: "Hello, I'm here today for a live broadcast tour."
The staff member glanced at you, then looked at Anna, as if confirming something, nodded, and handed you a visitor information sheet with a mix of Rossi and Ying languages.
You glanced at it; it read: Do not bang on the fence. Do not feed them your own food. Do not leave the designated area. Bears are not performing animals; please respect them.
It's simple, straightforward, and looks quite normal.
"Are the bears here free-range?" you ask the staff with a smile as you continue your explanation to the live stream.
Anna helped translate his words: "Yes. We don't have many bears here, but most of them were raised from cubs. They're used to humans, but they still retain... their nature."
"Nature?" You keenly noticed this word, and a slight thought crossed your mind.
"Did everyone hear that?" You have Anna hold up the visitor information and point your phone camera at the words on it. "Although you can get up close, bears are still wild animals, so please be careful."
The bear enclosure is not laid out in the conventional sense of a zoo.
This place is more like an enclosed natural woodland. Scattered here are some simple wooden huts and tin sheds, providing shelter for the bears from the wind and snow.
The ground was covered with a mixture of snow and mud, and occasionally you could see thick bear paw prints deeply embedded in the snow.
In the distance, a huge brown bear was strolling slowly, its fur gleaming grayish-white in the snow.
"See that? That's a brown bear! It's much bigger than I imagined, almost two meters tall." You picked up a stick, held it in your hand, and held it up to the camera lens to show its size, while lowering your voice to create an air of mystery. "But the staff said they are very docile, and they won't come near unless you disturb them."
The live chat exploded with comments: 【OMG, it's so big!】, 【I'm scared】, 【Streamer, be careful!!】
Some people have also raised the question: "Wait a minute, why don't bears hibernate?"
You responded to these questions based on your research: "These captive bears have regular feeding times and sufficient energy sources, so they generally do not need to hibernate."
The comments section was full of praise for your extensive knowledge and serious attitude during the live stream. You held up another small card with a shy expression and waved it in front of the camera.
As you walk along the designated route, you'll see several black bears lazily huddled together near a heater in a shed, separated by a small ditch.
Some were lying down, some were curled up in a ball, and occasionally they would raise their heads to reveal their wet little eyes, just like lazy big dogs.
Anna followed behind you, her steps light and almost silent.
You dutifully addressed the camera, saying, "The park is quite spacious, and the bears have room to roam freely; they're not kept in small cages. You can rest assured, the environment is very humane."
Someone in the live chat asked: "Why can't I see the guardrail?"
You zoomed in and pointed to the ground: "Look, there are ditches and low fences here. The staff said the bears are used to the boundaries and won't cross them randomly. The bears here received special training when they were young, so they're very smart."
In reality, what you're thinking is: this arrangement is more like... an implicit assumption that there must be a "boundary" between bears and humans—but what if that boundary is broken?
For example—being marked as prey by something unseen.
As you explain, you slowly scan your surroundings with your phone.
In the footage, the bears in the distance stand motionless, looking like still sculptures.
Only when you pull the camera back do they lazily stir again, as if waiting for something.
A chill ran through you as you said, "Alright, everyone, are you ready? Now we're going to get even closer to the bear!"
The comments section immediately erupted like a pot boiling over.
[Go go go!!]
Choose the fattest one!
Pick that sloth bear!!
Please, please feed the cutest one!!!
You smiled and met Anna's gaze, waved at the camera, and said with a light laugh, "Okay~ I'll go pick the cutest baby bear now~"
Your feet crunched through the snow, sinking slightly into it. Anna followed closely behind, while the staff stood at a distance, seemingly unconcerned.
As you approach the bear pack, you secretly assess the situation before you.
There were about—almost counted—bears scattered around the area! You quickly started mentally reciting multiplication tables to distract yourself, and then just analyzed the different types of bears.
There were black bears and brown bears, all lying lazily or pawing at the food on the ground.
—Each bear had a worn-out little bell hanging around its neck, which would occasionally make a faint tinkling sound.
Your gaze has become sharp.
If it's for safety, then they should probably be fitted with some kind of more controlling collar; if it's for fun, why make every bear wear this little trinket that's barely noticeable unless you look closely?
Moreover, the volume and frequency of the bells vary subtly—some bears' bells ring clearly when they move their necks, while others' bells are barely audible.
Is it decoration? Or screening?
So far, the atmosphere has been very peaceful. The only two rules or warnings are "don't count bears" and "treat bears well".
But you can't let your guard down.
Holding your phone a short distance from the bear, you smile and say, "Which bear is cuter, this one or that one?"
You are observing the different states of the bell, and you are also waiting for the discussion in the comments.
The diverse preferences expressed in the comments section are a relief. If they still held that overly unified viewpoint, you'd have to carefully consider whether to go along with the comments or go against them.
Without their interference, you can choose the bear according to your own ideas.
You will soon notice one of the most significant differences in the bells: the number of sounds produced by each bell with each shake is different.
As you walk, you silently count the ringing of bells as each bear makes a movement.
The number, rhythm, and loudness were all quickly noted down.
Meanwhile, the comments section was still flooded with messages:
[Hurry up, streamer!!]
Don't be picky! Just take any one!
The bear cubs are all waiting for you, hahaha~
You chatted leisurely, deliberately slowing your steps as you approached the bear pack, your ears secretly listening for subtle movements in the snow and air.
The sound of bells rang out in the wind, causing you considerable disturbance.
Until you notice a black bear approaching the fence.
It rolled over, and the bell around its neck jingled three times with the movement.
It's very ordinary.
But what happened next made you stop in your tracks.
After the bell rang, the black bear turned its head and looked directly at you with an unusual gaze.
It wasn't the instinctive wariness of an ordinary animal, but rather carried a hint of...
A steadfast gaze, as if it were a person.
It was as if it separated you from Anna behind you.
Immediately after that, another brown bear slowly moved its body.
Its bell rang softly twice during the movement—two clear rings.
But the brown bear didn't look at you; it just continued to lazily paw at the ground.
It's as if you have nothing to do with it.
A slight stirring ran through your heart.
So you deliberately circled the edge of the bear pack again. Every time a bear got up, shook its body, or changed position, you listened carefully to the number of times the bell rang.
You soon discovered the pattern:
The bear that cries out three times, once, or five times will raise its head and follow your movements, even if only for a moment.
The bears that rang the bell twice, four times, six times, or even when the bell stopped ringing, mostly remained lazy and indifferent in place.
This difference cannot be accidental.
You take a deep breath: "Hmm... everyone says we should choose the fattest one, so... shall we choose this one?"
You pretend to hesitate, but the camera is focused on a black bear lying on the ground, panting heavily.
The bear moved very slowly; the bell rang only once each time it turned slightly to the side.
Once – an odd number.
You cannot select it.
Out of the corner of your eye, you glance at another small brown bear lying quietly. It twitched its ears slightly, but the bell around its neck rang twice.
Twice – an even number.
Safety.
You deliberately tilted your phone slightly towards the black bear, but actually walked towards the little brown bear.
The screen immediately filled with comments:
Haha, that sloth bear is so cute!
[Great choice of host!!]
Charge!
You sneered inwardly, but gently approached the little brown bear, reaching out to take a piece of honey-marinated dried fish from the food box provided by the staff upon entry.
The little brown bear raised its head and its nose twitched.
There was no expectation or affection in its eyes, only a blank, indifferent gray, and it didn't seem to crave food much.
You crouched down and, smiling, placed the dried fish on the ground.
Why doesn't the streamer feed them themselves?
"If you're friends with a bear, you should respect its eating habits instead of teasing it like a pet owner would." You were spouting nonsense.
The little brown bear in front of me slowly stuck out its tongue and snatched away the food, its movements slow and mechanical, like a worn-out doll.
"Isn't it cute?" you say to the camera, gently stroking the brown bear's back with your fingertips.
When you touch it, you feel a layer of dry, rough fur, and the underlying bone structure is stiff and awkward. You control yourself to keep from trembling, no matter how strange the texture is.
【Wow!!!】
[The streamer is petting a bear!!]
[Overwhelmingly happy!!]
The barrage of comments was frantically flooding the screen, with no one really caring that you switched to your chosen bear.
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Author's Note: Hey... I can't even finish the "hey" anymore. Writing this chapter was so frustrating, it's become a real struggle TnT
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