As the New Year's bell chimed, the new year officially arrived, and the atmosphere in the livestream room reached its peak.
Influenced by the atmosphere, Yang Lin, who was initially hesitant, gradually joined the animals in their uninhibited revelry.
Various programs were improvised with ease.
Unknowingly, time had passed until three in the morning.
Seeing that all the programs requested by netizens had been performed, Yang Lin bid goodnight to the millions of viewers in the livestream room and ended the broadcast.
There was no other choice; his body couldn't take it anymore.
If this continued, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion in the livestream room.
However, ending the broadcast clearly didn't mean the end. At this moment, there were still a lot of things waiting for him to wrap up in the zoo.
The primary task was to get the animals back to their respective enclosures.
Most of the animals were quite obedient, but Yang Lin had no control over those who were drunk and could only let them sleep wherever they pleased in the pathways of the enclosures.
Finally, exhausted, Yang Lin himself went to sleep.
When the first batch of tourists entered the Xihong Zoo on the first day of the Lunar New Year, they were immediately shocked by the chaotic scene within the park.
Looking around, animals could be seen leisurely strolling everywhere in the park, along with some lying haphazardly.
"What's going on, did the zoo riot last night?"
"Why are so many animals outside their cages?"
"Director Yang probably forgot to lock them back up after the broadcast last night."
"If this wasn't Xihong Zoo, I'd probably be looking for the emergency exit right now."
"What's lying in the grass over there?"
"Damn, it's a tiger."
"Don't tell me that's an elephant lying on the road, and are those beer bottles next to it? How much did it drink?"
"This is the first time I've had such close-up contact with animals."
After the shock, the tourists suddenly felt a sense of novelty.
In previous zoo visits, animals were basically kept in cages, but this time they could interact with them outside the cages.
Even though most of these animals were lying there sleeping, as if they had pulled an all-nighter.
As the tourists were looking around for sleeping animals to take photos with, little monkeys suddenly emerged from various corners.
Before the tourists could react, they plopped down on their knees before the tourists and, under their bewildered gazes, began to kowtow.
After kowtowing, they also performed actions like bowing and cupping their fists in greeting to appear endearing.
Some even found a large iron basin from somewhere, flipped it upside down on the ground, and kowtowed violently to tourists, like setting off firecrackers.
"What are they doing?"
"Asking for New Year's money?"
"Maybe."
"Good heavens, with this kind of display, it would be rude not to give them something."
"Who taught them this?"
"Let's give them some, they're much better than the monkeys on Mount Emei; at least they're polite."
"With this kowtowing, I have to give them at least fifty yuan when I pass by, otherwise I'd feel embarrassed."
"I strongly suspect Director Yang taught them."
After their surprise, smiles also appeared on the tourists' faces.
They couldn't dislike these little fellows who were acting like children asking for good luck.
Feeling amused, tourists with change took out spare change from their pockets and handed it to the little monkeys.
Those without change gave whatever they had on them, be it fruit, snacks, melon seeds, or peanuts.
It was as if they were treating them like children visiting for the New Year.
When faced with the tourists' kindness, the little monkeys also displayed the politeness expected of officially employed animals at Xihong Zoo.
Following the lead of these little monkeys, other animals also began to imitate them, actively seeking New Year's gifts from tourists.
The most excited among them was Grandpa Wei, who actively approached any adult male tourist he encountered.
However, what he wanted was neither change nor food, but cigarettes.
For this, he specifically wore his overalls with a chest pocket.
"Grandpa, happy New Year! This is Yellow Crane Tower from Ebei, brought specifically for you."
"Grandpa, this is Golden Leaf from Yanan, try it."
"Grandpa, this is Yunxi from Diannan, here's a whole pack for you."
"Grandpa, this is Huangguoshu from Guizhou, it's strong, try it."
.....
At first, Grandpa Wei was the one asking for things, but soon it evolved into tourists spontaneously offering him cigarettes.
Before long, Grandpa Wei's chest pocket was filled with cigarettes from all over the country.
To carry more cigarettes, he even asked a tourist for a plastic bag.
When some first-time tourists from out of town saw this scene, they were stunned on the spot.
"Good heavens, animals in other zoos are fed fruits and vegetables, and Xihong Zoo feeds them cigarettes?"
"What do you know? In this Xihong Zoo, who doesn't offer Grandpa Wei a cigarette when they see him?"
"Wow, there are even cigars being offered."
.....
As Grandpa Wei was receiving cigarettes from tourists, Grandpa Qiang, not far away, was also being offered various drinks by tourists.
In a short while, a pile of assorted drinks accumulated in front of him.
He would open and taste each bottle.
"This drink is good, it's fizzy, Tianfu Cola, I'll remember this brand."
"Laoshan White Flower Snake Grass Water? What kind of drink is this, let's take a sip to taste the saltiness."
"Ugh..."
"Kvass? Another drink I haven't tried, it shouldn't be as bad as the last one, right?"
"Ugh..."
.....
Although the tourists couldn't understand what Grandpa Qiang was saying, his expressions and reactions made it clear what his evaluation of the drinks was.
"Which genius sent that bottle of Laoshan White Flower Snake Grass Water? Come out quickly and apologize to Grandpa Qiang."
"Don't say Grandpa Qiang can't handle it, I can't either, it tastes like soaking a mat in water."
"It seems Grandpa Qiang is a Southern Long-armed Ape, so he can't drink Kvass."
"Then why is there another bottle of Leibei? Take it away quickly, take it away."
.....
At this moment, apart from a few animals that were truly uninterested in human things, all other animals had joined the ranks of asking humans for New Year's gifts.
Even Li Gang, the Great Kangaroo who had just woken up from being drunk, had his large front pocket stuffed with all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and red envelopes by the elderly tourists.
When his small eyes looked at the fully packed items in his pouch, his previously hazy gaze instantly became excited.
"Hehe, is this what New Year feels like? It feels so good to be celebrating the New Year."