Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

Chapter 482: Chapter 479: Who is the Diner?

The huge searchlight cast its beam into the forest, and the long rope ladder descended from the sky.

Two minutes later, one after another, rainforest workers appeared on the self-extending ladder, climbing down bit by bit to arrive near the hollow of the tree.

Carrying a thermal box, the workers picked up the snake eggs on the ground, shone their flashlights on them for inspection, and the light reflected a shimmering orange glow off the shells.

After confirming there were no mistakes, they placed each egg into the thermal box, and those who followed were even more amazed.

The remaining eggs of the wild Burmese Pythons, survivors of the fierce battle between the python and the wild Baizhi Ox, were a rare sight, truly rare. Even in a zoo, they could have a special plaque explaining their significance.

On a certain day, of a certain month, of a certain year, the descendants of a wild Baizhi Ox that had miraculously survived the battle with a wild Burmese Python were brought back by the famous explorer, biologist, and geographer Bi Fang.

How impressive.

On the rope ladder, the last to descend was the reserve’s Director Zhou. Bi Fang had not expected that Zhou Weisheng would come in person; although he was quite old, his agility was still remarkable, and he landed steadily on the ground.

The two naturally exchanged pleasantries upon meeting, and Zhou Weisheng also praised Bi Fang’s performance before promoting the scenic area to the viewers.

Today was the fifth day of the live broadcast, and the number of visitors to the Banna Scenic Area had visibly increased, which was gratifying.

It was like gaining publicity for free; spending ten million on advertising might not have been as effective as one day of Bi Fang’s live broadcast.

The only problem was…

“You didn’t find the body of the Burmese Python?” Bi Fang was surprised when he heard Zhou Weisheng’s account of their journey. Could the body of such a large Burmese Python really have disappeared before the staff arrived?

Zhou Weisheng nodded, “We searched the coordinates you provided, but didn’t see the body of the Burmese Python. We continued searching along the way and found nothing, but it’s not an issue, it was probably dragged away by a wild animal.”

“Dragged away by a wild animal?” Bi Fang frowned. The python had died in the afternoon; only a few hours had passed—not too long but not too short—it wasn’t impossible, “Did you find any traces of wild animals nearby?”

Zhou Weisheng was taken aback and a bit embarrassed, “We didn’t pay attention to that. When we went into the jungle and didn’t discover anything, we left, and we thought it might have been eaten by something.”

The reserve’s staff often inserted tracking devices on the animals they encountered for protection. Many cases of unexpected deaths followed by consumption by other creatures were common and it wasn’t always possible to retrieve the bodies, so they thought nothing strange of it.

Bi Fang’s frown deepened, but after a moment, it relaxed.

It might have really been eaten by something; it wasn’t uncommon for various carnivores in the rainforest, Bi Fang thought.

“By the way, we also want to take this Zhoushan Cobra,” Zhou Weisheng said, squatting down to look at the gently swaying tree bark cage, “The stock of Zhoushan Cobra antivenom serum is running low. Wild Zhoushan Cobras are becoming rarer, and there aren’t enough from breeding. This one will be good for extracting venom to produce the serum.”

“Take it if you want it. It’s no use leaving it here anyway, and it was going to be released tomorrow,” Bi Fang waved his hand, not caring in the slightest.

Zhou Weisheng nodded, and immediately a staff member approached to catch the snake. They took out a plastic board, cleaned up the mud around the bark cage, inserted the board at the bottom, then carried the entire bark cage towards the snake bag. After that, they withdrew the plastic board and tipped it inside.

The Zhoushan Cobra, jostled about, struggled fiercely and tried to leap out of the bucket, but the next moment, the lid was closed, plunging it once again into darkness.

Catching the snake, storing it, and boarding the helicopter—all done in one fluid motion.

Without any issue.

They were all professionals, so how could an accident happen? As part of the rainforest staff, they saw venomous snakes most often and were all old hands at catching snakes.

With the snake catching stick in place, there was no snake that could escape.

After all this, Zhou Weisheng and the others didn’t disturb Bi Fang’s continued live-streaming, chatted for a moment, then climbed up the ladder ropes and left together.

The roaring sounds gradually faded into the distance, and Bi Fang, with hands on his hips, felt somewhat proud, “Now I’m truly the master of this tree hollow.”

Unexpectedly, Zhou Weisheng’s visit to take the snake eggs also resulted in the cobra being taken away, which took care of a big problem.

[What will happen to that snake after it’s caught?]

[It will be locked in a little dark room.]

“It will have its venom extracted. The venom of the Zhoushan cobra can be made into freeze-dried products and snake venom enzymes, which can be used to make serum.” After a pause, Bi Fang added, “As it’s their breeding season now, they might also be used for breeding purposes as well, and after that, they should be released back into nature.”

That’s generally the process for capturing wild animals.

Extract what can be reused, breed what is cherished and can be bred, and after a cycle, release them back into nature.

[Breeding? That’s hilarious. Is it the kind I’m thinking of? After Wanda Mountain No. 1, here comes Zhoushan No. 1!]

[A day later, Zhoushan cobra: What the hell is this paradise? A month later, let me go, what the hell is this juice-squeezing hell?]

[Ah, drained in all sorts of ways.]

Returning to the tree hollow, Bi Fang lifted the torch to light up the surroundings. This tree hollow was not only big but also very high, with the middle almost entirely hollow.

Above the light of the fire, there was a space that could never be illuminated.

“There must have been another tree here before, a pity it was strangled to death. Now there’s nothing left on top. You think about it, in such a large forest, the banyan trees must have been growing for who knows how long, the plants that were strangled didn’t stand a chance to survive.”

[Strangled? What is strangling?]

[The host is too professional, the netizens can’t keep up.]

“The fruits of the banyan tree are often carried by small birds and other animals to the branches or crevices of bark of host plants, where the seeds then germinate, root, and grow.”

“The growing stems will wrap tighter and tighter around the host tree, weaving into fancifully different natural ‘flower baskets.’ If you look at this tree hollow, it appears very natural as if there was originally a big tree here, doesn’t it?”

Bi Fang picked all the dead branches and fallen leaves off the ground and cleared out a space, which would become his bed for the night.

From intimacy to betrayal, the host tree eventually died from overload and nutritional deficiency, while these strangling plants ultimately became independent large trees.

The banyan tree is one of the most typical ‘slow killers’ in the plant kingdom, and its effects on the trees it strangles are extremely vicious.

Underground, they steal water and nutrients, leaving the strangled trees in a state of thirst and starvation.

Above ground, their basket-like root systems tightly clasp the trunk and branches of the strangled trees, inhibiting their thickening and preventing the transport of water and nutrients.

In the canopy, the strangler fig grew branches and leaves quickly, competing for space and sunlight with its victim.

In the tropical rainforest, the strangled plants almost invariably died, while the strangler thrived, slowly feeding on the remains of its victims as nourishment.

“However, this is Nature, where life and death cycle, old wood sprouts anew, and every life form has its own way of living. They need nutrients, we need to eat, so let’s solve the dinner problem first.”

There’s no need to ponder the cycle of life and death too much. Rather than that, it’s better to think about what to eat for dinner.

The time to eat meals each day is the happiest moment of the day.

Eating food and feeling the energy from its digestion that sustains life—this is the most basic and fundamental meaning of existence.

After reloading the gear that had fallen to the ground back into the bark frame, Bi Fang looked around and felt relaxed for the first time.

“Having the Zhoushan cobra as the owner of the tree hole is actually a good thing. Cobras are fierce in nature, and you hardly see any other small animals near their territory.”

“Now that the owner is gone, this is a rare safe zone, where no small creatures dare to come for at least a few days.”

Bi Fang chose to make a fire and cook three meters outside the large tree, still eating fish and vegetables.

Although the tree hole was spacious, it was still a hole in a tree, which meant it was destined to not have fires inside—flammable and with poor ventilation, it could easily lead to smoke inhalation.

“I’ve been eating fish for four days straight, and now I feel like I reek of fish. But there’s no choice, to ensure energy intake, these are the only things I can eat, and occasionally I can catch some bugs to mix up the flavors.”

He skewered the cicadas he had previously caught on a stick, a common edible insect—unfortunately, there wasn’t enough oil for frying.

A big fish, a few sips of vegetable soup, and some roasted insects made up Bi Fang’s dinner for the day.

A primitive yet blissful atmosphere emerged spontaneously. In the savage rainforest, filled with life-or-death dangers, the sense of satisfaction brought by a piece of safe ground was unparalleled.

After all, humans are creatures who yearn for stability.

Many found it quite romantic—the primitive jungle, a huge tree hole, digging a firepit for a barbecue, like something out of a fairy tale. They’d be willing to pay any price to experience it just once.

But remembering today’s battle between the ox and the python, everyone had to give up the idea.

Too dangerous. Even though lying flat on the ground can avoid the attention of the Wild Baizhi Ox, most people would be scared stiff at the first sight of the ox, with no chance to remember these precautions.

Safety manuals and various survival tips had been repeatedly emphasized during school terms. Many people were aware of what to do, but when danger truly struck, their minds would still go blank. No matter how much you know, it is often difficult to apply it when it matters most.

There were no entertainments at night, and before sleeping, Bi Fang picked several thick vines from the rainforest—there might be a shortage of other things, but certainly not of lianas.

Windmill vines, Shoulder pole vines, Tokyo large leaf vines, Wing nut fruit vines, and so on.

Vines twining around trees, trees entangled by vines—big and small, thick and thin, long and short, they can meet all your needs, from fences to ropes, from weaving to knotting.

Wrapping the thick vines around the roots of the banyan tree and smearing them with mud could perfectly isolate the outside world, preventing small animals from accidentally intruding.

Just as Bi Fang was filling and packing the earth, a huge white grub suddenly jumped onto his hand.

The white grub was as long as two joints of a finger and almost as wide as well.

Being suddenly grasped, the white grub wriggled its fat body trying to escape, but in the next moment, it was pinched up, struggling even more vigorously.

Bi Fang moved his torch closer, and under the firelight, the white grub looked even fatter.

[Oh my, what a fat bug!]

[A… a big white grub?]

[Has a caterpillar mutated?]

“This is a grub,” Bi Fang squeezed it, finding it plump, almost as if the grub could burst with sap at any moment, “I think I mentioned this yesterday or the day before. Didn’t expect to encounter one so soon.”

“These are the larvae of the Scarab family; all scarab larvae are called grubs and look nearly identical. It’s not until they break out of the pupa that you can tell what insect they’ll be—possibly a Rhinoceros Beetle or a Gold Beetle.”

Bi Fang wasn’t sure exactly what insect was in his hand.

“They lay their eggs in soft, moist soil, and each female can lay around a hundred eggs. When I was digging earlier, I must have hit the spot, causing one to fall out.”

Bi Fang dug around the spot where he had been digging earlier and, sure enough, found two more, which made him laugh.

“Hey, this is a bonus meal for me. This guy’s protein content is six times that of beef; it looks like I’ve got tomorrow’s breakfast sorted.”

[Whoa, can you actually eat this? Pretty cool.]

[What’s the big deal? This is just a large cicada pupa. Haven’t you ever eaten cicada pupae?]

[Eating a big white grub is quite a treat.]

[Can’t accept this, it’s a bit hardcore for me.]

Fortunes always come unexpectedly.

This is the rainforest—you never know what creature you’ll encounter next.

It might be a delicious meal, or it might still… be a delicious meal.

After completely clearing the surrounding soil, twelve big white grubs were found, a rich bounty. Bi Fang stuffed them all into a bamboo tube, sealed with leaves and mud.

Having finished everything, he turned off the livestream.

“Time to sleep!”

…

In the middle of the night, not far from the tree hole, in a bush that no one had noticed, a purple flower quietly blossomed and spread its pollen.

The evening breeze blew, and the flower swayed gently.