Chapter 33: I'll give you the job of acting zoo director
If you don't dry yourself off promptly after a bath during the repair phase and instead go around naked in the wind, and you're also frightened, you'll definitely end up with a high fever for two days.
bell……
A soft, delicate sound rang in my ears, like a wind chime or a clock.
Li Nai turned over uncomfortably, squinted, and vaguely saw a figure sleeping on the writing desk beside the bed.
On the wrist pressed under the head, the silver chain watch with a bluish glow ticked its second hand and simultaneously sounded an alarm.
The figure moved, its black head turned, and its face turned toward her.
In her eyes, the other person's delicate features gradually became clear. A strand of curly bangs fell down and landed on the tip of her delicate nose. Under the two beautiful, thick black eyeliners, there were slight dark circles under her eyes.
“Ji…” Li Nai swallowed with difficulty, trying to moisten his dry throat with saliva, but the more he swallowed, the drier it became, and he simply stopped making a sound.
Staring at the dim ceiling, her sluggish mind slowly began to work as she tried to recall.
The images in her memory are fragmented: Dr. Ji helping her drink water and take medicine; Dr. Ji working at his desk; the screen light illuminating Dr. Ji's serious, furrowed brow; Dr. Ji gently touching her forehead and asking her questions...
Her temples throbbed, and she closed her eyes.
Suddenly, I heard someone get up beside the bed.
She looked over and saw Ji Fenglan putting on his glasses, adjusting his watch to the time, and the ringing stopped.
Then, the arm was raised, and the room became brighter.
"You're awake?"
She swallowed twice and let out a hoarse "hmm".
"Don't swallow. The robot will be here soon."
Ji Fenglan took a closer look, then went to the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, she saw Li Nai looking sickly and staring blankly at the little robot that was repeatedly reminding her to eat breakfast.
"No appetite?" Ji Fenglan walked over.
Li Nai shook her head, picked up the plate, and placed it on her lap. The little robot stopped speaking and stood straight to the side, like a dedicated little butler.
Ji Fenglan sat in a swivel office chair, one arm resting on the edge of the table, quietly watching Li Nai eat.
The patient looked worried, hesitated to eat, and sighed repeatedly, making him look pitiful.
"Would you like to go to the zoo?"
Ji Fenglan suddenly said something that startled Li Nai, causing her to cough and choke.
"What?! There's a zoo here?!"
She was skeptical, but secretly hoped for it.
Ji Fenglan smiled mysteriously: "This is an animal experimentation base."
In the bright, shimmering, heavenly, wave-like corridor, Li Nai sat in a lazy wheelchair as patrolling robots walked past her, greeting Ji Fenglan, who was behind her, as she stopped at the wheelchair.
"Dr. Ji, don't you have any staff here? Why are they all robots?"
"Yes, it exists, but it cannot be released."
Li Nai nodded as if she understood, but just as she realized that the employees might be zombies, the "zoo" gates opened for them.
The melodious chirping of birds pierced through the rustling leaves.
As you enter the gate, sunlight filters through the tall trees and falls on the asphalt road, with a yellow dotted line dividing the road into two sections.
Li Nai looked up at the sky. In the center of the tall, green building, large, fluffy clouds drifted across the azure sky.
I couldn't help but take a deep breath.
"Get in the car."
Ji Fenglan stood in front of the four-seater sightseeing vehicle and waved to her.
The two women got into the car, which then started driving on its own.
Li Nai looked at the electronic screen in front of him. A circular map unfolded, resembling the Bagua diagram, with three concentric circles. The two outermost circles were divided into spaces of varying lengths, numbered with letters and numbers.
The innermost circle has a five-pointed star moving outwards at its edge. The five-pointed star likely represents their position.
Ji Fenglan glanced at her, who was still studying the map: "Do you need an answer?"
Pointing to the map, her eyes gleaming with excitement, she exclaimed, "The base is so big! It's amazing! Is this circle we're in a park?" She then pointed to the outermost squares, "What are these? Are they all enclosures for animals?"
A hand reached out, touched the central circle, and drew a circle around it. "This whole circle is where the animals live."
What about the outermost one?
Dr. Ji, standing beside him, paused, his tone calm: "A natural transition zone connecting to the outside."
"Are we going to let them roam freely?" She imagined the animals running and frolicking in her mind.
Ji Fenglan gave her a wink and a smile, then suddenly looked up into the distance, her tone becoming cheerful: "Let's go to the bird area. The environment there is like springtime. You'll love to listen to the birdsong and smell the flowers."
The car sped up and headed towards another fork in the road.
A dozen minutes later, the glass door not far away slowly opened, welcoming them inside.
Upon entering, just as Dr. Ji had described, the air was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, and the gloom in my heart was blown away by the wind.
Chirp, chirp. A clear bird call came from the roof of the car.
Li Nai looked up and saw a golden bird's head dangling from the edge of the car roof, its beak holding a pink double-petaled cherry blossom, its black beady eyes staring intently at her.
She stretched out her hand halfway, and the bird flapped its wings and flew away, leaving a flower for the new guest.
I brought home a flower, brought it close to my nose, and smelled its rich fragrance.
The car slowed down and took the two of them around the entire bird area before finally stopping at a green pond near the cliff.
Clear water flows through the cracks in the stone wall, forming a tinkling stream, where colorful birds chirp and frolic.
Li Nai jumped out of the car and ran towards a pavilion by the pool. As soon as he got close, he knocked away a flock of sparrows.
Feeling playful, he chased the sparrows around, making them fly and stop.
Ji Fenglan sat down against a pavilion pillar, casually crossing his legs and resting his arm on one side.
She glanced at her watch.
She noticed a blue-feathered red-billed finch fluttering its wings under her hand, nuzzling its head against her palm in a friendly manner.
Under the clear lens, his amber eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
The bluebird immediately flew away.
Outside the pavilion, Li Nai, having finished playing, walked towards Ji Fenglan.
"This is much more fun than the zoo I've been to before." He plopped down on the other side of the railing.
"I've never seen such a wonderful environment, with such a rich variety of animals. Dr. Ji, if you retire, you could sell tickets and live a comfortable life. If you need any staff, I'd be happy to volunteer!"
"I have some good news, would you like to hear it?" Ji Fenglan asked with a gentle smile, looking directly at her.
"What good news?" Li Nai asked, a little puzzled, but still beaming with joy.
"Do you like it here?" Ji Fenglan looked at the pool and the colorful birds.
"That's great," Li Nai affirmed. "What exactly is the good news?"
"I'm glad you like it. From now on, you don't need to worry about Qi Shuihan anymore."
Li Nai asked in surprise, "What do you mean? What happened to her?"
Ji Fenglan smiled and shook his head without saying a word, his eyes deepening: "I guarantee that your identity and system will not be revealed again."
These words made Li Nai's expression serious, and he regained his somber, sickly look from the room.
Ji Fenglan adjusted his glasses, his amber eyes thoughtfully moving outwards.
Chirp!
A blue-feathered, red-beaked magpie flew down, flapping its wings and hovering in front of Li Nai's face. Its bright black eyes stared at her, seemingly trying to speak.
Extending a hand, the bluebird landed in the palm, squatting comfortably, its round body warm and soft.
"You seem to have something on your mind. Can we talk?" Ji Fenglan asked with a smile, her eyes fixed on the adorable blue bird in her palm.
Li Nai hesitated, and the blue bird in his hand sensed this and lowered its head to rub against his palm.
"Sigh~" She raised her other hand and gently stroked the bird's head. "Dr. Ji, I think there are others who know about the system and the host. You know this person."
Who is it?
"Misik".
"Sure?"
“My S…” Li Nai quickly shook his head: “The system is in her hands.”
"Is the system very important to you?" Ji Fenglan asked with interest. "Perhaps I can help you."
Li Nai nodded solemnly, a question popping into her mind: "Dr. Ji, aren't you... curious about the system?"
Ji Fenglan pondered for a moment, then shook her head slightly, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
"I never rely on external forces."
Li Nai pursed her lips, her eyes flickering and changing, occasionally frowning, before finally settling down.
"Dr. Ji, I have a question and I hope someone can analyze whether it is correct for me."
"What doubts?"
"Tell me, if I fulfill someone's wish, could I influence her?"
After speaking, she silently observed Ji Fenglan, her yellow crystal-like eyes behind her glasses seeming to be staring into her depths.
I felt a sudden panic and some regret.
Dr. Ji is so smart, and she knows about the host and the system, so she will definitely ask if it is related to her host identity.
However.
"That depends on what the wish is. It's very difficult to influence a person."
As she spoke the last two words, she vaguely saw Ji Fenglan's gentle smile turn cold for a moment.
The coldness vanished abruptly, and Ji Fenglan, like a patient mentor, reminded her: "The best wish is one that causes her the most pain, yet makes her unwilling to let go."
She looked completely bewildered.
Ji Fenglan pondered: "Obsession. Find out what the other person is obsessed with and find a way to help her achieve it."
Presumably thinking that Li Nai was slow-witted, she explained, "So-called obsession is just a desire. It is usually formed by tragic experiences in childhood, such as hatred for someone or regret for something. To find out the right one, you must understand the other person's past."
To Li Nai's surprise, Ji Fenglan did not use this opportunity to dig into her identity. Did she really not care or be curious?
That's fine too.
He lowered his head and pinched his chin, deep in thought.
Her mission had been stalled for a long time, but Ji Fenglan's explanation gave her a new idea.
The past? You can check the character profiles.
Sorry, the machine is 92% repaired and system functions are temporarily unavailable.
Fine, I'll have to use my own brain. I'll carefully examine the details of the three wicked women I've encountered so far.
After much thought, she could only conclude that Qi Shuihan's obsession was freedom, and Mi Xike's obsession was revenge. As for Lin Jingru, she really couldn't figure it out; they had too little contact, and he had always been cold and indifferent to her, never wanting to say a single word to her.
Li Nai fell into thought, completely forgetting that Ji Fenglan was beside him.
"Li Nai, would you like to be the acting director of the zoo?"
Li Nai snapped out of her daze: "Huh?"
"It must be very boring to stay in the room all the time. Becoming the acting zoo director can help me check on the animals' lives and relieve my boredom."
"Great! Great!" Li Nai clapped her hands excitedly.
Ji Fenglan found it amusing.
Just then, a robot gliding by at high speed interrupted them.
"G Management, they have arrived and are waiting to pick up S04."
S04? Sounds familiar.
Hey! Isn't that Qi Shuihan's code name?
Li Nai recalled the information in the character's file.
"Who wants to take Qi Shuihan away?" she shouted.
“Misike.” Ji Fenglan made no attempt to hide his feelings.
What?
What will happen to her mission?!
She then thought of helping Qi Shuihan gain his freedom first, so that she could complete the task of reforming him.
"We must not send Qi Shuihan away!"
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