Late August.
At dusk, the cicadas blanketed the zoo with their cries, while the hot wind was so dry and scorching it seemed to blow straight out of an air fryer.
Zhao Yiyi sat cross-legged at the mouth of the cave. Air conditioning had been installed inside, and wisps of cool air drifted out as the entire gorilla family huddled inside to escape the heat.
The young gorilla Durian sat beside her legs, busy picking at the turf like a dim-witted little child.
Suddenly, a powerful light flashed on!
A projector hidden in the grass cast its beam out, displaying a huge, crystal-clear video on the opposite wall. It began playing a video of a red-haired gorilla solving a Rubik's Cube.
Durian was startled and turned his head for a glance, but quickly lowered it again.
As for the gorillas in the cave, they were too lazy even to spare the video on the wall a look.
Zhao Yiyi propped her cheeks up with both hands and sighed.
Dean Xiang's prediction had been completely accurate.
The projectors in the zoo's various exhibits had been installed for several weeks. During the first few days, the projected videos attracted the monkeys and gorillas to crane their heads over and watch. But their interest soon faded, and they began treating the videos as if they were nothing but air.
Ning Mo had tried changing the videos. It did work, allowing the monkeys to gather around and watch with fresh interest for two days, but by the third day, they were cold again.
"Durian, if you don't study properly, you're going to be abandoned, you know?" Zhao Yiyi pulled out a Rubik's Cube and set it heavily in front of the young gorilla.
The young gorilla looked at the cube in confusion, his gaze