On the flat, open highway, the large truck driven by Yang Lin led the way like a matriarch elephant, while the herd behind him ran at an extremely fast pace.
Ahead of them, all sorts of airdropped supplies occasionally landed steadily on the road, carried by parachutes.
Some were various fruits, while others were staple foods like corn and sweet potatoes.
These were not Yang Lin's primary focus. At this moment, his gaze was fixed on the takeout box that descended from the sky.
A large kangaroo head was clearly printed on the surface of this takeout box.
It could only be Gang Zi.
Seeing this familiar kangaroo head, Yang Lin couldn't help but give a thumbs-up to the aerial camera filming them.
The audience, upon seeing this takeout box, almost burst into laughter.
"Holy cow! Jiang Tuan takeout!"
"They really live up to their slogan, Jiang Tuan takeout, delivers anything fast."
"I declare this product placement the strongest in history."
"This advertisement must have cost a fortune."
"What else can you expect? Not only Chinese viewers but audiences worldwide can see this. Jiang Tuan has hit the jackpot this time."
"Six, six, six! Director Yang himself wouldn't have imagined that Jiang Tuan takeout would deliver food to him at such a critical moment."
...
While the audience was buzzing with discussion about the appearance of Jiang Tuan takeout, Yang Lin had already begun to eat.
Taking out the still-steaming hot dishes from the takeout box, a happy smile appeared on Yang Lin's face.
What surprised him even more was that in addition to the food, the command center had also prepared a portion of fruit and two bottles of drinks for him.
However, perhaps because no advertising fee was paid, the drinks in the shot were heavily pixellated, making it impossible for anyone to tell what Yang Lin was drinking.
This left room for the audience and netizens to get creative. Soon, these drinks were Photoshopped into all sorts of beverages by netizens; some into beer, some into baijiu, and some even into vodka.
Yang Lin, being on-site, was naturally unaware of this. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he began to collect airdrops on the highway.
One moment he would pick up a bag of bananas and toss it in front of Tuan Tuan, the next he would grab two bags of corn and place them near the elephant herd.
Under the gaze of countless viewers, Yang Lin, by his own efforts, had transformed this elephant migration into a wildlife feeding program.
"Wow, so elephants don't like to eat pineapples but love corn the most. I've learned something."
"Little elephants are just like human children, restless eaters and picky."
"Do elephants really eat that much in one go? That's already over a hundred catties of food."
"What's this? Didn't you notice our national treasure eats even more?"
"Now that you mention it, Tuan Tuan's mouth never seems to stop, eating more than the elephants."
"I finally understand why Director Yang needed so much food at once. I thought it was all for the elephants."
"They say raising our national treasure is expensive, and today I've seen it."
"No wonder Director Yang was so eager to bring Tuan Tuan to the Xihong Zoo. The mystery is solved."
Clearly, it wasn't just domestic viewers who were shocked at this moment.
Viewers of foreign television stations such as the UK's BBC and Japan's TBS were also stunned after watching Yang Lin's actions on live broadcast.
In their domestic media reports, Chinese animals were usually portrayed as being oppressed or directly becoming food.
For instance, oxen were made to plow fields, donkeys were used to turn millstones, and monkeys, besides being enslaved to pick coconuts, were also eaten for their brains.
However, Yang Lin's interaction with the animals on camera completely overturned the perception previously conveyed by the media.
In the camera's view, Yang Lin not only took meticulous care of these wild elephants but also interacted with them exceptionally harmoniously.
He seemed to know each animal's preferences and understand each one's characteristics. Even the most mischievous young elephants would immediately quiet down in his presence.
The status of the giant panda following him was also completely different from that of the pandas in their countries.
Especially for the Japanese audience.
Their country currently had several giant pandas, and these pandas were deeply loved by the Japanese public, with some panda fans reaching a state of frenzy.
However, compared to Tuan Tuan, the pandas in their country seemed like entirely different species.
"Perhaps we also need such a Panda Immortal."
"I think we can learn panda-rearing experience from China. Otherwise, I'm very concerned about the current health condition of the pandas in our country."
"I think we should return the pandas to China and ask them to help care for them."
"It would be better to invite this Panda Immortal to Japan. I believe we can hire him with a high salary."
"Do China's pandas no longer eat bamboo? Is this their feeding secret?"
"I checked on Chinese websites, and this Panda Immortal seems to be very famous in China and runs a very impressive zoo. If there's a chance, I'd really like to visit."
"Sugoi!"
In an instant, these seemingly content Japanese people gradually shifted their attention from the elephant migration event to Yang Lin.
After they learned about the Xihong Zoo and Yang Lin's related deeds, the title "Panda Immortal" began to spread throughout Japan.
There were even private panda enthusiast organizations that actively petitioned to ask Yang Lin to bring back the sick panda to China for care.
And just as netizens worldwide were focused on the elephant herd feeding, the herd and Tuan Tuan on the highway had already been fed by Yang Lin.
Seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, Yang Lin decided not to delay further. After a word with the lead elephant cow, the herd set off again.
However, they hadn't traveled ten kilometers when Yang Lin, sitting in the driver's seat, heard sounds of anxiety and restlessness from the elephant herd behind him.
Immediately, he felt a sense of foreboding.
It was impossible for the elephant herd to encounter any external dangers while traveling on the highway.
There could only be one reason for the herd's extreme anxiety: something was wrong with the herd itself.
"Could it be that an elephant has strayed from the herd?"
Thinking this, Yang Lin immediately stopped the truck and quickly ran towards the herd behind him.
When he reached the herd, he immediately noticed something was wrong.
Previously, when he counted, there were 18 elephants in the herd. Now, there were only 16.
The two missing elephants were precisely the only two male elephants in the herd.
"Just as I feared!"
As he spoke, Yang Lin's brow furrowed deeply.
ps: I'm unblocked. I have a class this afternoon. Although I don't want to teach, I'm a teacher. I'll be back later to continue updating.