NOVEL NEXT Chapter 445: 443
Chapter 445: 443
The update isn’t ready yet. I’m just staking a claim.
I’ll change it before half past midnight.
Bi Fang immediately thought of this, but after looking at Lin Chang and Yao Jun, he had an epiphany; his former self wasn’t sufficient, yet who was he to overlook who submitted the application?
Yao Jun was somewhat lacking, but his father was generous, and Lin Chang was impressive. Combined, plus a seemingly good idea, it was already enough.
Besides the Ocean Pavilion, there was also the nearby hotel, which was built only after planning, essentially a free supporting facility. Everything fell into place.
“Let’s go, let’s first check out the Rainforest Museum.”
Bi Fang called out to Étienne, who was having a blast at the archery range, and the group headed towards the Rainforest Museum. As soon as they entered, they could feel a dense humidity pressing in.
Bi Fang was astonished, “You guys, how many humidifiers did you put in here?”
Étienne’s eyes widened in sheer amazement. The reason was simple; it was huge, the entire pavilion was simply massive!
Walking in, it felt nothing like being indoors, as if truly walking in a rainforest. Were it not for the occasional exposed supporting columns reminding them they were still in a city, it would be like a dream.
“I feel like you could spend an entire day just in this Rainforest Museum,” Bi Fang exclaimed, impressed. The design blueprint was one thing, but the actual sensory experience was completely different.
However, building such a place, the key was size, all kinds of size. If it were small, it would completely lack immersion and the experience would suffer.
It’s like if an aquarium had a live adult Blue Whale, even if it had nothing else, it would be packed to the brim!
Of course, that isn’t very realistic or ethical.
But for such a huge Rainforest Museum, no wonder it cost so much. Worth it!
Unable to help himself, Étienne slowed his pace, just raised his head to look around, and immediately felt he had bumped into something hard. When he looked down, a brown-spotted snake came into view.
“Snake! Snake! Snake!”
Étienne screamed in fright, retreating so hastily that he nearly fell to the ground.
Bi Fang quickly steadied him, comforting, “OK, OK, don’t be afraid!”
Lin Chang laughed too, “Take a closer look, it’s in a glass terrarium, it’s not dangerous.”
Étienne, calming his racing heart with a few deep breaths, looked again and realized it was indeed just an ecological container!
Because of the foliage, the glass did not reflect light and the edges were so well-blended due to special treatment, they were nearly completely transparent. Together with the inside environment mirroring the outside, it was almost impossible to tell it was inside a container, instead appearing entirely exposed to the elements!
Yao Jun revealed a mischievously pleased smile. The specially crafted edges of the glass terrarium were his idea, aimed for precisely this effect.
When visitors were exploring the rainforest, to suddenly find a venomous snake right in front of them, mouth agape…
Étienne, still shaken, asked, “What kind of snake is this?”
“Tricolor lance-headed viper, a highly venomous snake. It’s often found near human dwellings, making it the main culprit in bite cases and therefore considered the most dangerous snake in the area, referred to as ‘the ultimate viper’,” Bi Fang raised an eyebrow, looking at Yao Jun and Lin Chang, “How did you get it? This is very dangerous.”
“All is well,” Yao Jun patted Bi Fang’s shoulder, “I know what you are like. The snakes in both the Rainforest Museum and the Desert Pavilion are common and not endangered species; there are no animal performances involved. We didn’t arrange this, Huaxia doesn’t have them. They were sent here after discussions with the animal protection association…”
Lin Chang also added, “There’s a dedicated caretaker, its fangs have been removed, and to prevent regrowth, it’s checked regularly. Antivenin has also been stocked up, we have triple insurance to ensure that even if it gets out, it won’t be dangerous. Plus, we’ve chosen single-gender specimens, so even in the event of an earthquake and they all escape, they won’t cause an invasive species problem.”
Bi Fang nodded in relief, it seemed both had thought everything through very thoroughly, and even in case of a mishap, there was a professional team ready to help.
After a brief tour, Bi Fang actually discovered that Yao Jun and Lin Chang had brought in a Golden Python…
Separated by a giant piece of glass, hidden in a corner of the rainforest, surrounded by similar environmental setups, and with a small pond inside.
Bi Fang peered and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. He pointed at a large one inside the glass and asked, “Have I seen this Golden Python somewhere before?”
“Hahaha!” Yao Jun laughed heartily, slapping Bi Fang’s shoulder, and gave a thumbs up, “That’s right, it’s the very one you caught a long time ago. We got in touch with the zoo and brought it here. How about it, seeing an old acquaintance, doesn’t that make you a little happy?”
Bi Fang: “…”
Beyond the rainforest, there was a three-meter-wide stream flowing through, ending in a waterfall, with rock climbing walls fitted with climbing stones on both sides. Indeed, it was quite nice.
After a brief tour through the Rainforest Museum, the group arrived at the Desert Pavilion. Here, animals were the main focus, as there was neither the canopy-covered sky of the rainforest nor much interest in the endless yellow sand.
However, as soon as they entered, unlike the humid rainforest, they immediately felt a distinct burning sensation.
Looking around, there were about a dozen camels and the same ecosystem tanks.
It wasn’t as stunning as the rainforest, but it was still a nice scene.
What was interesting, though, was Yao Jun pulling Bi Fang over to a small sand dune, caressing it several times, before finally sweeping away the surface sand to reveal a small wooden door.
“What is this?” Bi Fang was startled and already had a hunch, “An underground cave?”
“Exactly, a simple underground maze. Inside, there’s also an underground river with some small fish in it. The water flow circulates with the fountain outside.” Yao Jun said somewhat proudly, “But of course it won’t be as complex as the original version. We had to consider safety, so it’s just a simple maze. Generally speaking, you’d be able to find your way out after walking through it a couple of times.”
Bi Fang nodded in agreement, he had to admit, he was very satisfied with all the arrangements, especially after taking into account Etienne’s suggestions.
“This is so cool! It’s really amazing, this place is a complete ecological exhibit! It’s got everything! I think we could totally open one in Ugly Country or Europe just like Disneyland!”
Bi Fang scratched Etienne’s head, although the guy was his fan, an overly enthusiastic one at that, so his opinions weren’t highly referenceable, but they were still valuable.
As for opening another two, better forget it.
This one alone nearly drained him completely. Opening two more would likely put him into a blender, to be ground up and squeezed into juice.
Speaking of Disney, he wondered if the project they had talked about had started and what the progress was, as there had been no news at all.
He had to ask about it later.
Bi Fang cared quite a bit about the rights he had sold.
The following Ocean Museum was also a pleasant surprise. Being newly built, many parts of it were quite spectacular, ranking it among the top in the country.
After this, it was the hunting ground.
With the assistance of the staff, Etienne learned how to ride a horse, while Bi Fang eyed the teeming rabbits with eager anticipation.
Everything was ready; each prey animal was fitted with an electronic tag. When struck by a harmless arrow within a certain range, the tag would be triggered, activating a current to stun the prey.
Essentially, this lowered the difficulty of hunting.
As for whether anyone would accuse them of animal cruelty…
Even in Europe, don’t they still electrocute pigs before slaughtering them?
The hunted game would then be sent to the restaurant, turned into spicy rabbit heads, dry pot rabbit meat, braised rabbit, rabbit and radish stew, stir-fried spicy rabbit with ginger and spring onion, roasted whole rabbit…
“Slurp slurp,” Etienne smacked his lips while munching on rabbit meat, grease dripping from his mouth.
“Eat slowly, no one’s fighting you for it.” Bi Fang ordered two more different dishes, allowing Etienne to enjoy himself. It was a rare visit, and he couldn’t let his guest be disappointed.
As he gnawed on a rabbit head, Yao Jun said, “Now that all preparations are complete, we just wait for the opening in half a month. By the way, have you hired the instructors?”
“Don’t worry about the instructors, I’ve got them all ready. They are all elite, specially retired from the military; there won’t be any issues.”
Bi Fang explained that this minor matter was not a problem. Not every special forces soldier excels in wilderness survival, but there are several units without any issues, with the Northeast Tiger as a prime example.
With so many soldiers retiring each year, their resettlement is actually an issue. Bi Fang offered a great opportunity, which they were more than happy to take.
Of course, the compensation would not be meager.
“Then let’s open in half a month!”
In Bi Fang’s opinion, the club was already perfect, almost flawless.
Just as he was about to order another bowl of rice, the long-lost electronic tone rang out again.
Bi Fang glanced around disinterestedly and then chuckled when he saw the familiar content.
Wiping his hands with a wet wipe, he smiled and said, “Perfect timing, I also have a new plan lately. On Children’s Day, the big screen can light up again.”