Xiao Long clapped his hands excitedly, "Panda! Grandpa Hai, giant panda!"
Hai Changfeng considered himself well-traveled, but he had never seen such a panda before.
To call him a panda, yet one could see his human aspects, and faintly discern human facial features.
To call him human...
He still had a panda face, a black and white coat, and a panda's build.
Hai Changfeng: "Is this a panda turning into a human, or a human turning into a panda?"
An Nuan shook her head. How could she know...
Shi Huai sighed.
"I am Shi Huai, the one you are looking for. Nini was in a bad state before, and I slept with her for a night. The next day, I turned into this. I can feel Nini in my heart!"
"Are you saying you ate her?"
"No! How could I eat them? They are all my most important family! But I don't know what happened. I just feel Nini isn't dead and is with me!"
Shi Huai hugged his torso with his bear-like arms.
An Nuan found it unbearable!
Fu Yunting said, "Perhaps they didn't want to leave each other, and the two biological entities merged."
The conditions for the formation of异种 (yì zhǒng - mutated beings/anomalies) were temporarily unexplainable by anyone.
Fu Yunting couldn't explain it clearly either, but one of the conditions for fusion was definitely a strong desire from the organism.
Luoluo petted Shi Huai's fur.
"Wow, this is my first time petting a giant panda! Shi Huai, if it were before, you'd definitely be the national treasure among national treasures."
"Heh heh, I think so too! Are you looking for me for something?"
"It's like this, my two cats have also mutated and are in heat. I want to find a vet for them. I heard you are very skilled, so I came to find you."
Shi Huai padded over to An Nuan, first examining the bodies of the two cats, then their mouths and paws.
Shi Huai nodded.
"I can see you care a lot about these two little ones. You're a good owner."
"Let's not talk about that now. Come with us. There are zombies and 异种 everywhere outside, it's too dangerous. It's not safe for you to stay here either."
"No."
"What?"
An Nuan was surprised he refused.
Humans were social creatures, and the strong would recruit others to form small groups. This was especially true for Shi Huai.
Luoluo also didn't expect him to refuse.
Everyone had risked their lives to find him. If he hadn't been here, it would have been understandable, but he was alive.
If he didn't go with them, wouldn't it be a wasted effort?
Luoluo grabbed his panda hand and acted spoiled.
"Come with us. Can you bear to see Daidai and Tantan in trouble? What if they get sick? Giant panda, we need you!"
Shi Huai blushed and grinned foolishly. Although the blush was hidden by his fur, it was clear he was quite happy.
"It's not that I don't want to go, it's that I can't abandon these children. I delivered many of them, and I watched them grow up. It's so dangerous outside, I can't leave them here to die! Where they are, I am. I can't abandon them."
The tigers and lions rubbed against him, and even the crocodile wagged its tail.
An Nuan could see the animals were very close to Shi Huai.
Perhaps it was because he had merged with the giant panda, but he seemed to be able to communicate with them.
Fu Yunting looked at the house.
"There are many dangerous 异种 deeper in the park, but this area is undamaged. Is it because of the giant panda?"
"I don't know. Ever since I turned into this, I often roared outside, and those things wouldn't dare to approach. But it's dangerous to leave the house, so I let Xiao Yu stand guard at night."
A string of small, glossy black things slithered out from Shi Huai's neck.
It tilted its head, flicked its tongue at them.
An Nuan didn't know if it was because she had been in the apocalypse for too long, but she found this little black snake beautiful!
It was completely black and shone with radiance. Its back scales had a jade-like luster.
It had big, round eyes, delicate features, and was even a bit cute.
Just below its head, there were small, semi-transparent, curved wings.
"Is this the one we saw outside earlier? It's so beautiful! Xiao Yu, come here, come to Uncle Hai, I have jerky for you!"
Xiao Yu slithered over, coiled around Hai Changfeng's wrist following his outstretched finger, and swallowed the jerky.
"This little guy is so intelligent!"
Hai Changfeng played with Xiao Yu, Xiao Long rode on the back of the pony, and Chang Kai played with the lion's tail.
Juanzi and Daidai were fooling around with some monkeys.
Good heavens, everyone was having a blast!
Shi Huai picked up two little pandas.
"Among the 异种 you mentioned, there are good ones and bad ones. We have 异种 here too. But as long as they are kind and don't hurt people, I will take responsibility for them. So I'm sorry, I can't go with you."
Shi Huai knew no one would risk taking the animals out.
And there wasn't enough space to keep them.
He didn't want to be a burden to them.
"You should go. I won't waste your time."
"It will only get more dangerous outside. You and these animals need food and drink. In time, you won't be able to manage."
An Nuan had a good impression of Shi Huai and didn't want to give up.
Shi Huai still insisted on his principles.
"Don't say anymore. I won't abandon them. I can't!"
"But..."
An Nuan was about to persuade Shi Huai when Fu Yunting stopped her.
Negotiations had to reach the other party's heart; otherwise, all words were in vain.
An Nuan wasn't good at negotiation, but Fu Yunting was.
And he was also good at threatening.
"I guess the 异种 didn't enter because there's a biological classification system. Cells and genes naturally have a sense of reverence for pandas. Zombies target humans and wouldn't easily attack you. But there are many other humans outside, and they'll see you as food. Sooner or later, they'll come in."
Shi Huai pouted, his ears drooping.
"Humans are more ferocious than animals, but what can I do?"
"If there was a place where they could all live, and that could travel with you so you could take care of them at any time, would you be willing to come with us?"
"Is there such a place?"
Shi Huai's panda ears perked up again. He drooled and rushed in front of Fu Yunting.
Fu Yunting turned his head away in disgust. The panda hadn't brushed its teeth in days, and he didn't like the smell.
An Nuan furrowed her brow and glared at Fu Yunting unhappily.
"So many animals, you can't transport them without five or six trucks. Do you have a car? And where will they be settled after transport? My villa can't accommodate so many animals."
"I can't settle them, but you can."
An Nuan felt Fu Yunting had a screw loose.
Perhaps his immense power had consumed his intelligence.
If she had a way to take these animals with her, she wouldn't be in this stalemate with Shi Huai.
An Nuan looked at Fu Yunting with disdain, but she saw a look of sexual excitement in his eyes.
Seeing his gaze, An Nuan felt something strange, a sense of disharmony surging within her.
Fu Yunting's long fingers traced from her neck, gently twirling her necklace.
"Xiao Nuan, haven't you ever wondered what the third bead is for?"