Chapter 688: Penguins on the Slide

"Honk, honk, honk, ah~~~~ ah~~~"

Just as they arrived at the penguin exhibit, they heard the distinctive loud braying of the banded penguins.

As autumn arrived in Linhai, the temperature dropped, so there was no concern about the slide being too hot and burning the penguins' feet. The slide was set up again.

Previously, the penguins would jump directly from the rocks into the water. Now, they could choose to slide down into the water.

This not only provided an additional entertainment option for the penguins, making the visitors happy, but also showcased the penguins' natural sliding behavior by the water. It was a win-win situation.

A chubby penguin stood at the edge of the slide, looking down as if hesitating!

It stood there for a long time without moving, while the penguins behind it queued up, waiting.

A penguin swam in the water, then came ashore, shaking off the water droplets.

It stretched its neck forward, brought its feet together, spread its small wings, and lightly jumped onto a step.

Then, with a wobbly gait, it walked back up to the high platform.

As it jumped onto the platform, it accidentally stumbled and bumped into the penguin that was waiting in line.

The waiting penguin flapped its small wings, trying to maintain balance, but it still ended up pushing the hesitant chubby penguin from behind, sending it down the slide.

"Ah!"

The chubby penguin let out a startled cry, flailing its feet wildly.

Its round body even bounced lightly on the slide with a "Duang" sound, feeling a dizzying spin before tumbling into the water with a splash!

A large plume of white water splashed up.

The penguin in line was momentarily stunned, stretching its neck to look down.

Oops, it seemed to have pushed it down. I didn't mean to!

It turned its head and exchanged glances with the swimming penguin, which looked innocent.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hey, did you see that? The one behind pushed it down! That's hilarious."

"Penguins are so fun!"

The visitors who saw this couldn't help but laugh, and Fang Ye's mom laughed out loud like a goose.

After spending a day at the zoo, seeing various cute animals, everyone had a great time.

Around 5 PM, Fang Ye took them to have a meal at the Panda Restaurant and then headed to the hot spring inn.

The hot spring inn was fully booked for the National Day holiday!

However, Fang Ye had specifically instructed the inn to reserve a few rooms for their parents.

The parents curiously looked around the hot spring inn's environment!

The courtyard featured a pond with a rockery, decorated with various green plants. Green lotus leaves floated on the pond's surface, giving a sense of tranquility and elegance, instantly relaxing everyone.

Fang Ye smiled and asked, "How do you like the environment here?"

Fang Ye's mom praised, "Oh, it's really nice! Even better than the hot spring inn we stayed at in Japan last time."

Fang Ye was surprised, "When did you sneak off to Japan again? I didn't know. I thought you said you were busy with work?"

Fang Ye's dad coughed, "A little enjoyment is necessary."

Lan Li couldn't help but lower her head and laugh!

Thinking back, she had wondered if there was some dramatic rich family drama in Fang Ye's family.

But now, after getting to know them, she found Fang Ye's mom to be very easygoing and friendly, and she got along well with her.

Fang Ye's dad, though appearing stern, was actually quite a tsundere.

They went to the front desk to have the empty rooms arranged.

The receptionist, after handing over the keys and swimsuits, enthusiastically asked, "Would you like any additives for the hot spring bath? We offer red wine baths, flower petal baths, herbal baths, and more!"

Lan Li's mom shook her head, "We're not very familiar with these. You decide."

Fang Ye turned around and smiled, "How about a herbal bath for you? Our hot spring inn's herbal bath is especially effective. It's a secret recipe I learned from an old Chinese medicine doctor. It's great for relieving fatigue. You've worked hard, so take this opportunity to relax."

"Alright, thank you, Xiao Fang."

Lan Li's parents looked at the price list behind them, and although they didn't have to pay, they still couldn't help but gasp inwardly, "Wow, this herbal bath is expensive, 1500!"

But soaking in the hot spring was indeed very comfortable.

Soaking in the steamy hot spring, the warm water enveloping their bodies, it felt like an experienced masseur was constantly massaging them. Their pores opened up, and their bones felt lighter.

After the hot spring bath, they sipped on rice wine brewed from golden glutinous rice, kept in an ice bucket.

The cold wine melted in their mouths, the fragrant rice aroma and the faint wine scent lingering.

"Ah~"

They sighed contentedly, feeling completely relaxed, lighter than they had in decades!

During the National Day holiday, they spent a few days at the zoo with their parents, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

They toured the zoo by day and soaked in the hot springs by night.

It wasn't that they didn't want to go elsewhere; it was just that the zoo was the best place to have fun in Linhai.

The Panda Restaurant, the Lion Restaurant, all served organic rice grown by the zoo itself, and the vegetables were cultivated with special soil and water, making the food not only delicious but also healthy. Plus, they could enjoy the animals while dining, an experience unmatched by other restaurants.

The parents were indeed very satisfied with their stay.

...

After sending their parents back, Lan Li and Fang Ye returned to living together, resuming their normal life.

Lan Li was cooking in the kitchen, while Fang Ye leaned on the sofa, casually browsing the group chat on his phone.

Suddenly, he saw someone post a picture of a police report, saying that a visitor had violated park rules by getting out of their car and trespassing into the tiger exhibit area in the self-drive tour zone.

"Really disgusting! If you don't want to live, go jump in a river. The tigers still want to live!"

"I was just watching TV, and this news came on!"

"Such a nuisance to the tigers."

"But I can't help but laugh at the tigers' expressions! They all looked so confused."

"Luckily, they were facing the tigers. If their backs were turned, they might have been attacked."

"I read that they used food and firecrackers to drive the tigers away."

Group members started complaining one after another.

Fang Ye couldn't help but shake his head!

This wasn't the first time visitors had gotten out of their cars in the zoo's predator zones!

While the visitors were certainly at fault, the zoo also bore significant responsibility.

When designing exhibits, safety should be the top priority, ensuring that animals cannot escape.

If offering self-drive tours, the predator zones and the vehicle paths should be separated by moats, ensuring no contact between predators and visitors or their cars, thus ensuring visitor safety. Even if visitors don't get out of their cars, predators might still try to paw at the car windows, posing a danger.

If predators and vehicles can come into contact, then the tours should only be conducted with the zoo's own vehicles, equipped with sturdy protective nets, with locked doors that cannot be opened freely. Any bathroom needs would have to wait until designated rest areas.

Zoos can't expect all visitors to be rule-abiding and sensible; there will always be thrill-seekers or unaware children. It's the zoo's responsibility to minimize safety loopholes.

Take Linhai Zoo's moat barriers, for instance: an outer fence, several meters of separation bushes, an inner concealed fence, an electric grid, followed by a moat and a gravel buffer zone, balancing safety and aesthetics.

Just as he was thinking about this, he received a call from the city, notifying him to attend a safety meeting the next day.