Chapter 663: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Several days later, media outlets across Yangchuan City and the entire province, several major domestic networks, and some media from Xiangjiang, all reported a series of related news stories.
The specific content of these news stories was not exactly the same and their angles and writing styles varied greatly, but overall, all focused on the recent animal disappearance incident.
"Zoo expert's brilliant deduction, a pile of animal droppings, reconstructs the scene of the crime"
"Mass escape of rare animals, poachers caught in crossfire"
"The nightmare of poachers--the Armadillo"
"Our military plans to develop a third-generation bulletproof vest based on the armadillo shell principle!"
But the most reported topic was still about the Animal City in the mountains.
"Miracle in the mountains: The magical Animal City"
"Divine inspiration: Animals mimic game to build a city"
"Pandas lead pets to sweep through Qinling Mountains, claiming the mountains as their kingdom"
"On the inevitability of animal evolution: Division of labor and cooperation"
"Yangchuan City Zoo cracks major animal escape case"
"Animal paradise in the mountains"
"Food chain harmony, a biological miracle"
...
As several clear aerial photos were released, news that two pandas had led animals into the Qinling Mountains, conquering various species along the way, and establishing an 'Orgrimmar' city in the depths of the Qinling, caused quite a stir in human society.
Different people looked at the incident from different perspectives and focused on different points.
For scientists, it was a biological miracle, different types of animals, many of which were natural enemies in the wild, were able to coexist peacefully, without disturbance to one another;
For the police, the focus was on the resolution of two cases at the same time.
The missing animals were found, and it turned out there was no 'mystical force' involved as imagined, nor were there any malevolent individuals with scheming intentions, it was merely an accident; Another case involving a poaching gang from Korea also ended at the same time--it wasn't exactly solved either, since all the criminals involved were dead. According to the information provided by Suming, the man named Park Jeong-ui was a well-known poacher in Korea. At the time, Suming did not know the man's identity and had no reason or 'ability' to detain an unidentified foreigner, so it was possible that this man had already fled back to Korea.
Just as well, let Korea handle this hot potato, saving Yangchuan City the trouble.
For most ordinary citizens, there was a new 'entertainment news' topic: a city built by animals, with thousands of them living together in the mountains, sounded exciting. Especially for the players of "World of Warcraft", who were shocked to see the aerial photos of the 'city silhouette', as it was just like the main city in the game, Orgrimmar.
If it weren't for the fact that the location of this 'city' was too deep to be accessed by the average person, in less than two days, this Orgrimmar City would probably become the hottest tourist attraction in Huaxia this year.
It is said that foreign photographers and wilderness survival enthusiasts have come, eager to delve into the Qinling Mountains to visit and film up close.
As soon as the news came out, there was an uproar.
The animals belong to Huaxia, the Qinling Mountains belong to Huaxia, those who discovered these animals, raised them, and protected them, were all Huaxia's own. If the people of Huaxia hadn't had the chance to visit, how could foreigners taste the first soup?
The provincial authorities immediately convened a meeting, with relevant personnel from Yangchuan City all in attendance.
The main topics of the meeting were several.
First, how to deal with the previously missing animals, whether they should be sent back to Xiangjiang Ocean Park;
Second, how the human government should protect the Animal City discovered in the mountains.
Compared with these two main topics, the rest of the minor issues, such as commendations for those who contributed to the incident--mainly Yangchuan City Zoo and Suming himself, and commendations for the investigative team of Yangchuan City and various units of the armed police forces, were not big deals and were settled in a few words without any disagreement from anyone.
"It's probably not realistic to send these animals back to Ocean Park now," said a professor from Provincial Medical University who had personally taken a helicopter to visit Animal City.
After the discovery of Animal City, the issue of ownership of that batch of animals immediately became sensitive, and both the provincial authorities and Ocean Park sent experts to investigate on site right away.
Talking about anything else was hypothetical; decisions had to be made based on facts and the actual situation.
The fact was, the original animals couldn't be moved, especially the two pandas, who somehow became the leaders of this group of animals, kings of the mountains. Whoever tried to take the pandas away would be making enemies of all the animals.
The two pandas themselves were even less willing to leave. "I am the king of the mountain here, second only to heaven itself, free and living the good life. Why would I go back to that tiny panda enclosure in Ocean Park to be stared at by people?"
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You think I'm crazy?
The animals assumed a 'give me liberty or give me death' stance.
When they saw the staff from Ocean Park, the pandas showed great hostility and non-cooperation, and with that, the animals of the entire Animal City went mad, becoming unusually agitated. A large number of animals that were stirred up without understanding the truth came from all around the mountains, surrounding the experts and the Ocean Park staff. Emotions ran high, almost leading to a mass incident.
The only way to take the pandas was to kill all the animals!
Could humans do it?
Of course they could. There were only a little over two thousand animals in Orgrimmar, and even if you gathered all the animals of the Qinling Mountains, it would only be a matter of time before humans could slaughter them—it would just take more bullets.
But could humans really do that?
Obviously not! Never mind the entire Qinling Mountains, let alone the two thousand animals in Orgrimmar. Even if there were only two hundred or even twenty healthy, ordinary animals that had not contracted any diseases, no civilized country or city manager would ever order a massacre.
It would be a blatant massacre, and no one could bear the responsibility.
Animals are no match for humans, but the moral halo of human society also protects them. Humans would not and need not act massively against animals. As long as the animals are slightly clever and unite, they could receive unexpected shelter from human society.
In short, taking the pandas back seemed impossible.
If the pandas didn't return, naturally those loyal followers that had fought by their side wouldn't be released either.
From this perspective, animals are much more decent than humans, never abiding by the principles of 'discard the bow once the birds are gone' or 'cook the hound once the hare is caught'.
So, basically there was no solution.
"We've discussed this situation with our superiors and the management of Ocean Park," said a comrade responsible for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan affairs. "The people from Ocean Park said they could understand, and the senior leaders instructed that the relationship between the two places is very important. Since Xiangjiang Zoo has taken the high ground, there's no need to investigate whose fault it was. The Mainland side will provide appropriate compensation, possibly sending two other national treasure animals. As for those pets and the money spent on buying animals..."
His gaze landed on Suming, and Suming smiled and nodded, "Our local enterprises in Yangchuan City have an unshirkable responsibility. This is also making a contribution to society."
The money amounted to more than ten million Huaxia yuan. That was neither a small amount nor an excessive one. If the local finance was to cover it, it would involve various procedures, which wasn't impossible, but somewhat troublesome. Suming simply took over the responsibility of paying this sum directly, which also helped Yangchuan City alleviate a financial pressure that was neither too big nor too small, improving the relationship between the enterprise and the local government.
The leaders from Yangchuan City who attended the meeting gave Suming a slight nod and a smile of approval.
"The only bit of trouble is a few of the pet owners," one of the leaders said with a wry smile. "Most of the pet owners can understand and are willing to give up their pets. As you all know, nowadays many people treat their pets like sons or daughters, treasuring them immensely. There are a few pet owners who, no matter what, refuse to give up and demand their pets back, and economic compensation won't work."
The provincial leader hosting the meeting frowned slightly and said with a wave of his hand, "This issue must be handled! If it really can't be helped, we can take them to the site to see for themselves. If they are capable of taking their pets back on their own, let them do it."
If even the armed police can't take them away, how could a few ordinary people manage to do so?
Suming raised his hand.
"Mr. Su, hahaha, there's no need to raise your hand. Just speak up if you have something to say," said the provincial leader with a chuckle.
"Leader, I raise animals and can understand these pet owners' feelings. They are indeed very upset when their pets are lost. So, how about this—when the future National Forest Park in the mountains is established, we can give each of these pet owners a free lifetime pass as compensation," Suming suggested.
"Hmm, that's a good idea."
The second topic was how to deal with the Animal City in the mountains.
Initially, some people proposed protective development.
As soon as this proposal was made, it was unanimously rejected by Professor Chu and several other senior experts from the province.
What protective development? Simply put, it was development, it was to make money off that place!
This kind of development sounds good, but numerous facts have proven that it does not serve a protective function at all.
Especially in the case of the Animal City, which is deep in the mountains and in pristine jungles where animals live and gather. Everything is in its original state. If humans went there to develop it, wouldn't they be causing harm and destroying the environment?
If there truly was the desire to protect, it should be to maintain its original state as much as possible, while humans try to disturb it as little as possible.
Of course, it's impossible for humans not to be involved at all.
The area is home to various protected species, and the scientific research value is immense. The tourism potential of the Animal City cannot be overlooked either.
Suming also had a little calculation in his mind. Orgrimmar was clearly showing signs of a food crisis. If humans did not get involved, once a food crisis breaks out, this animal paradise could quickly fall apart.
After discussions from various parties, the final decision reported to senior leaders was to establish a large outdoor National Forest Park centered around Orgrimmar, following the model of foreign national parks.
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