Chapter 194

The Battle Between Water and Fire

A system anti-piracy message flashed on the screen—this would only disappear once the purchase ratio hit 50%. It would take three hours. Meanwhile, Duan Jiazhe had more immediate concerns. He needed to finalize contracts with his staff, so he contacted Lawyer Wang once more.

Lawyer Wang sounded puzzled. “Why haven’t you sold the zoo yet?”

Duan Jiazhe felt a bit awkward. “I’ve decided to keep it open. I’m even recruiting staff.”

“Well, that’s a surprise,” Wang said, but then he unexpectedly offered his blessings. Duan Jiazhe couldn’t shake the feeling that Wang might have something else in mind.

It wasn’t until later that Duan Jiazhe realized he had misjudged Wang. The lawyer wasn’t concerned with his decision to keep the zoo open. Instead, he was introducing a potential employee. Wang had learned that the younger brother of one of his colleagues had been struggling to find a job. Out of frustration, the man had almost turned to bricklaying.

“If you’re going to carry bricks, you might as well work as a zookeeper,” Wang had said. The young man was actually interested, so Wang passed along his contact. It turned out that Duan Jiazhe was in desperate need of help, and this was exactly what he needed.

A few days later, the younger brother of Wang’s colleague, Liu Bin, came for an interview. Liu Bin wasn’t the most striking, but he was tall, muscular, and exuded an honest, hardworking aura. He was the same age as Duan Jiazhe, though a year behind in school, so he called him “brother.”

Liu Bin looked at Duan Jiazhe with surprise. “You’re the same age as me, yet you’re hiring people? Meanwhile, I’ve been knocking on doors until my head’s bleeding and still haven’t found a job. Honestly, I almost ended up as a bricklayer. Finding a job is tough, especially in environmental engineering.”

Duan Jiazhe blinked, his heart skipping a beat. The words felt so familiar. “Wait… you studied environmental engineering too? Which university did you graduate from?”

Both men stared at each other, stunned by the unexpected connection. Their shared background brought them closer as they exchanged professional stories. Before long, Liu Bin had signed the labor contract without hesitation.

Things were moving quickly. Duan Jiazhe had hired two people in the blink of an eye. He immediately called Xiao Su and asked her to come for training.

With two employees now on board, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He didn’t need the villagers showing up anymore, their constant staring had been more exhausting than actually working.

Xiao Su was excited when she came in. She had been doing odd jobs for a while, which were far more tiring than the work at the zoo. Duan Jiazhe immediately put her in charge of feeding the fish and birds. With all the animal keepers hired, she didn’t even need to care for the animals anymore.

Duan Jiazhe’s early start had given him a leg up. He knew how to handle the animals, especially with the 6-ton press keeping them in check. He wasn’t afraid anymore—what could be worse than the lions possibly thinking he tasted better than the meat from the Hope Project rewards?

His calm demeanor made Xiao Su and Liu Bin think he was an experienced hand.

They quickly became comfortable with each other. Liu Bin and Xiao Su were all young and got along well after a few days.

Meanwhile, the 6-Press enjoyed showing off at mealtimes. Duan Jiazhe had struck up a relationship with the security guard at the park, learning that the villagers delivered vegetables to the zoo. He made an arrangement to pay them a monthly fee for fresh produce. The supply was steady, and Duan Jiazhe took it upon himself to cook meals.

When Xiao Su and Liu Bin saw him cooking, neither of them could cook, so Duan Jiazhe prepared extra meals for them. But every day, he also cooked separately for 6 Ya, who would eat alone. Duan Jiazhe would share a little, but Xiao Su and Liu Bin didn’t get any.

Liu Bin couldn’t help but feel a little envious. “I think… 6’s meals always taste better than ours,” he said quietly. He was sure the food wasn’t much different. Maybe it was all in his head, but there was something about 6 Ya’s meals that seemed different.

Xiao Su glanced at him. “Because there’s a different seasoning.”

Liu Bin raised an eyebrow. “What? Chicken bouillon?”

Xiao Su looked at him and made a heart shape with her hands.

Liu Bin’s face went pale. “Oh…”

The conversation ended there. Liu Bin shivered, too afraid to say anything more.