When it was revealed to be a relay race, the audience was somewhat confused.
Unlike a normal race, a relay race involved an additional baton-passing segment.
Could the animals complete this segment?
This was the common question in everyone's minds.
In their view, wouldn't one need hands to perform the act of passing a baton?
But they soon realized their understanding was too shallow.
As the race countdown began, the human and animal athletes started to make their appearances.
When the crowd saw the contestants representing Xihong Zoo this time, they were dumbfounded.
Because Xihong Zoo had sent four completely different animals.
Leading the pack was a monkey with crimson fur, clearly not a native Chinese monkey.
The audience found this monkey acceptable, as it had hands and wasn't too dissimilar from humans.
However, the animals that followed the monkey were somewhat excessive.
Because no matter how one looked at it, it was a big, black, fat pig.
"This is too much, too much. How could Xihong Zoo send out a pig?"
"The mystery is solved. I always wondered what events pigs could participate in, and now it turns out they're in a relay race."
"I never would have expected this."
"Indeed, after the eldest disciple, the second disciple must follow. What kind of 'Journey to the West' team is this?"
"Hahaha, for novelty, you still have to look to Xihong Zoo. Who on earth came up with this?"
"I'm dying of laughter. Surely no one can't even outrun a pig."
"Did the zoo director see that the animals won the previous races and intentionally went easy this time?"
"Sending out a pig to run isn't going easy; it's practically giving them the whole ocean."
"Isn't this that Picasso Pig from Xihong Zoo? It's known for its painting. Sending it out for the relay seems reasonable."
"My guess is a horse will follow, most likely that zebra. If they really send a zebra, then the animals still have a chance to win."
"I think so too, it's the 'Journey to the West' team."
However, just as everyone expected a zebra to appear next, a massive figure emerged onto the track.
Seeing this figure, the crowd fell into silence.
Their previous guess was half right; at least the creature before them was a horse, but it was a hippopotamus with large nostrils.
Upon seeing this hippopotamus, the audience finally couldn't hold back their laughter.
"This is hilarious. What a bizarre team: a monkey, a big black pig, and a hippopotamus mixed in."
"If it were a triathlon, I think this team would have an advantage, but for a relay race, this is just for entertainment."
"What, a hippopotamus isn't a horse?"
"The director probably did this for the show. Humans can't lose all the time."
"The director is being considerate this time, forcibly gifting them a point."
"I don't believe the director would be so kind."
"Let's wait and see what the fourth animal is."
As the audience burst into laughter, the fourth animal finally revealed itself.
Under countless gazes, a soft, cute, and adorable creature appeared in the camera.
Looking at this little darling that seemed to have wandered into the frame, the entire audience, both in the stadium and online, felt as if they were melting from cuteness.
Snow-white fur with patterns, a round head, and a height of less than thirty centimeters. Everyone was afraid it might accidentally let out a tiny burp.
Silence, complete silence.
"It's over, it's over. The director is playing a trick. How could they send out such a little one? How is it supposed to run?"
"Exactly, even a tough guy like me feels like I can't run when I see such a cute creature."
"This little one hasn't even been weaned yet and is being sent to compete. Is Hua Dajie, its stepmother, really willing?"
"This is interference, pure and simple interference."
"Hahaha, I seriously suspect the little one will run off the track."
"What a combination of the weak and the sick. My goodness."
"Humans finally have hope."
With the appearance of the little milk tiger, Da Mi, the audience's reactions varied, but they were certain that Yang Lin had arranged a deliberate point-scoring opportunity for the humans.
The four animal contestants did not look like they could run well at all.
However, even knowing this, it did not diminish everyone's anticipation for the upcoming race.
After all, who could refuse to see a cute little milk tiger running on a track?
Amidst everyone's anticipation, the referee announced the start of the race.
As the eldest disciple, the red monkey served as the first runner for the animal team. The second disciple, the big black pig, was the second runner. The black horse and the little milk tiger were the third and fourth runners respectively.
At this moment, all eyes were focused on these four animals of different forms.
Everyone wanted to know what kind of performance this strange combination would deliver.
The next second, the referee's starting gun echoed across the field.
As the gun fired, everyone saw a crimson figure dart out first.
They initially thought it was a human athlete, but upon zooming in, they realized it was the eldest disciple.
The eldest disciple was now running on its hind legs, holding the baton with one forelimb and supporting its body with the other.
Before long, it had left the human athlete far behind.
This eye-catching performance immediately surprised everyone.
"It's okay, it's probably the fastest runner, so it was placed in the first leg. I don't believe the second runner, the second disciple, can run that fast."
At this moment, the crowd could only console themselves with this reasoning.
But soon, they realized they were mistaken.
When the leading eldest disciple passed the baton to the second disciple's mouth, the second disciple immediately erupted with a speed that exceeded everyone's imagination.
With a ferocious charge, it rushed towards the next runner like a black whirlwind.
In that instant, the ingrained impression of pigs in everyone's minds was completely overturned.
In everyone's stereotype, pigs were synonymous with obesity and laziness, but they completely forgot that pigs were once fierce beasts in nature.
Especially the big black pigs native to China, which were the closest to wild boars.
Without much time, the black pig, to everyone's astonishment, passed the baton into the mouth of the third runner, the hippopotamus.
And the hippopotamus, as the third runner, also taught everyone a valuable lesson.
It passed the baton to the little milk tiger's mouth at a speed nearly a lap faster than the human athletes.
By this point, the outcome of the race was no longer in doubt.
Even though the little milk tiger was easily distracted, occasionally taking the baton and wandering off the track, the immense advantage built by the three elders before it allowed it to easily lead the human athletes. Finally, it crashed headfirst into the specially lowered finish line.
Below are the running speeds of different animals:
Cheetah 125 km/h
Pronghorn 88 km/h
Tiger 80 km/h
Wild Ass 70 km/h
Dog 64 km/h
Horse 60 km/h
Giraffe 60 km/h
Zebra 60 km/h
Lion 58 km/h
Rabbit 56 km/h
Wild Boar 56 km/h (short distance limit speed)
Domestic Pig 50 km/h (short distance limit speed)
African Red Monkey 50 km/h
Black Bear 50 km/h
Brown Bear 48 km/h
Hyena 45 km/h
Elephant 40 km/h
Hippopotamus 40 km/h
Human 36 km/h