Outside Xihong Zoo, it was almost eight-thirty, not long before the official opening.
Quite a few tourists had already gathered outside, enjoying the spring air.
When the dark shadow in the sky first appeared, they paid it little mind. It wasn't until a faint sound came from above that someone finally looked up.
As these tourists looked towards the distant sky, their mouths immediately dropped open in astonishment.
"Birds, so many birds!"
"My goodness!"
Someone shouted, and the tourists who had been admiring the vegetation instantly had their attention drawn away.
In the next second, the dark shadow flew closer.
Following their gaze, at an altitude less than a hundred meters away, countless birds were flying towards Xihong Zoo.
The sheer number and variety were unlike anything they had ever seen.
And in the short time they were stunned, the overwhelming flock of birds had already reached overhead.
Compared to observing from afar, seeing them up close, they truly understood the meaning of awe.
At a glance, the entire sky was obscured by birds – red, green, gray, white, large, small, named, and unnamed.
At that moment, it felt as if all the birds in the world had gathered here.
Perhaps sensing the tourists below, these birds, upon reaching Xihong Zoo, merely circled in the air and showed no inclination to land.
Their assorted calls merged into a symphony, leaving the tourists mesmerized.
"Where did so many birds come from?"
"There must be tens of thousands of them."
"Why are so many birds flying here? Are they planning to settle down?"
"I feel like these birds look a little familiar."
"What's familiar or not about birds? Don't they all look the same?"
"They seem to be migratory birds; they stayed at Xihong Zoo last winter."
"Yes, yes, I remember now. Director Yang even fed them before."
"It really seems so. They passed through here on their way south for the winter, and now that the weather is warmer, they've all flown back."
"That explains it."
"Could they all be looking for Director Yang?"
"Hurry and call Director Yang out!"
As the tourists chattered amongst themselves, Yang Lin, who was lying in bed, was awakened by the commotion outside.
"What's going on? So noisy."
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he opened the door and immediately saw the sky-obscuring flock of birds above the zoo.
Shocked, he instantly recognized the flock as the same migratory birds he had hosted last year.
"Whoa! Back so soon? So you guys went south for the New Year, huh?"
With a look of delight, Yang Lin quickly got dressed and went to find Peng Baobao.
There was no doubt that this flock of migratory birds had chosen to stop here because of Peng Baobao.
He didn't think he had that much influence himself.
After the considerably grown Peng Baobao landed on his shoulder, Yang Lin headed straight for the zoo entrance.
As soon as he stepped out of the zoo gates, Peng Baobao transformed into a streak of golden light and shot into the sky.
Yang Lin himself was surrounded by a throng of curious tourists.
"Director Yang, these migratory birds are looking for you, right?"
"Director Yang, please ask them to come down, they must be tired from flying so long."
"Why don't we just let them stay at Xihong Zoo?"
"Yes, yes, let them stay in Ningnan. We'll take good care of them."
Faced with the tourists' persistent questions, Yang Lin began to ponder.
"There's some truth to what they're saying."
"Now that there are woods and other greenery outside, wouldn't it be even more perfect with more birds?"
"Heh heh, it's not me who wants to keep you, it's the tourists who want to keep you."
With this thought, Yang Lin immediately sent a message to Peng Baobao in the sky via his consciousness.
In the next second, to the delight of the tourists, the birds that had been circling above and refusing to land suddenly executed a collective dive.
Instantly, they were like exploding fireworks.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the flock of migratory birds flew into the groves of trees that the tourists had personally planted.
As the migratory birds landed on the branches, the newly planted woods seemed to come alive, becoming extraordinary.
Especially as these colorful birds frolicked and played among the trees, their joyful calls filling the air.
The tourists were captivated, exclaiming their delight.
Some photography enthusiasts repeatedly raised their cameras to capture this beautiful moment.
"It's so beautiful, I've never seen so many birds before."
"Yes, I didn't expect such a surprise bonus today."
"Xihong Zoo is truly a blessed place. These birds will likely stay here from now on."
"It seems Ningnan will have another tourist attraction. This place truly deserves the name 'Birdsong Forest'."
"Director Yang has really struck gold. We planted the trees, and the birds just flew in."
"Nonsense, *we're* the ones who struck gold. We got a free attraction without paying a dime, didn't even have to buy a ticket."
"Keep it down, don't let Director Yang hear you, or he'll probably build walls overnight."
While the tourists were excited, Yang Lin was naturally pleased.
Given time, as the trees and flowers here flourished, combined with the passive ability of "Blessing of Ten Thousand Birds," the bird population would double within a year.
Xihong Zoo would then become one of the premier bird-watching destinations in the country.
However, as he watched, he suddenly realized something.
"No, no, they're getting to see this beautiful scenery without buying tickets. Isn't that a huge loss for me?"
"If they can get things for free outside, who will bother coming into the park?"
"This won't do. I need to call Qian Tu right away and have him get me another batch of plant fences to enclose the entire area."
"Also, the ticket sales area needs to be moved further out."
"Then I'll say it's to establish a bird sanctuary, which is indeed something that needs protection."
With that, Yang Lin took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Mr. Qian, get me another batch of 'Green Clothes' (Lüyi Zhishi), Holly (Gougu Dongqing), and Hawthorn (Zaocitrees)."
"Yes, the more the better. I want to enclose the entire Xihong Zoo area."
"Except for the main road, leave no gaps."
Just as Yang Lin was making his call, the incident that had just occurred exploded online, bringing him a great surprise.