The Directors Who Couldn't Eat

7:00 p.m., Director's Office.

Four lunch boxes sat on the table, their food still steaming, yet no one touched their chopsticks.

Every week at this time, the four directors and deputy directors gathered for a meeting to share information about the zoo.

Usually, there was nothing worth discussing, so the Weekly Meeting gradually turned into a dinner gathering. Everyone came to eat and chat, considered the meeting over, then went back to their own business after dinner and met again the following week.

But tonight, the atmosphere at the dinner gathering had suddenly changed. Ding Yangze was depressed and miserable, while the other three wore blank, awkward expressions, utterly at a loss.

"What exactly happened today?" Zhang Zhilei broke the silence first. "How did Durian become deputy director and replace Old Ding? This has to be a joke, right?"

"Song He didn't mention Ding Yangze at all today. He suddenly issued the notice right before leaving. I was completely stunned," Zhao Yiyi said. "I don't understand replacing Old Ding either, but I do know why Durian was promoted to deputy director."

"Why?" Ding Yangze asked.

"This morning, Song He accompanied military leaders on an inspection. They happened to catch Orange Juice secretly selling cigarettes and alcohol in his shop, then went to search Orange Juice's home," Zhao Yiyi said. "Durian was Orange Juice's neighbor across the hall, so he invited them into his home as guests."

"Right, Durian must have said something to them." Ning Mo looked worried. "Did he badmouth Old Ding? Old Ding, have you made some mistake that Durian found out about?"

"No." Ding Yangze looked miserable. "I work so hard. I'm in the Sea Monster Pavilion every day and night, collecting data. I don't even have time to make mistakes!"

"Think carefully again," Zhao Yiyi said. "Song He definitely wouldn't fire you for no reason. Something must have happened. Or maybe there was something that could have caused a misunderstanding?"

"Something that could cause a misunderstanding... no?" Ding Yangze rubbed his face with both hands and sighed. "Durian couldn't have made up dirt about me, could he? Durian isn't that bad."

Silence fell. Everyone racked their brains, but their minds were blank.

"Could it be that my research ability is too poor, and I haven't achieved any decent results with the sea monster research? Maybe Song He thinks I'm useless now?" Ding Yangze spiraled into Random Thoughts.

"What kind of nonsense is that? You've been publishing papers and applying for patents all along. Look at the rest of us—we haven't accomplished shit," Ning Mo said. "If poor research ability were the reason, all of us would be replaced!"

"Let's stop sitting here making wild guesses and just ask Old Song what's going on," Zhang Zhilei said.

"Exactly! Old Ding, just call him and ask," Ning Mo immediately echoed his girlfriend.

"I... I'll send him a message. He might be busy and not have time to answer a call." Ding Yangze timidly pulled out his phone.

He opened the Chat Box, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How should I phrase it?"

"Why are you overthinking this?" Zhang Zhilei said anxiously. "Just ask directly! No need to beat around the bush!"

After thinking for a long time, Ding Yangze gritted his teeth and went for it. Holding down the screen, he sent a voice message. "Old Song, I saw the zoo announcement. They removed me from my deputy director position and replaced me with Durian. Why?"

Sent!

The atmosphere was so tense that the four of them nearly forgot how to breathe.

A moment later, Ding Yangze's phone vibrated. Everyone immediately stretched their necks toward the screen like turtles hunting for food. Song He had sent a voice-message reply!

Ding Yangze reached out to tap it, then stopped, clearly a little afraid.

Zhao Yiyi could not wait any longer. She snatched Ding Yangze's phone, cranked the volume to maximum, and hit play!

"Huh? No one notified you? I sent it to Yiyi, didn't I?" Song He's puzzled voice sounded out.

In an instant, everyone in the room turned to Zhao Yiyi with interrogating looks!

Zhao Yiyi was stunned. She hurriedly pulled out her own phone to check, then immediately held down Ding Yangze's screen and sent a voice message: "Bullshit! What did you send me? Song He, don't just flap your lips and saddle me with an injustice for the ages!"

After waiting a moment, several more voice-message replies arrived at once. "Oh, oh, oh, my mistake. I typed it out but forgot to hit send," Song He said awkwardly.

"Ding Yangze spends every day in the Sea Monster Pavilion doing experiments and collecting data. He basically leaves all the zoo's miscellaneous affairs alone. He can't just occupy a position without doing any work, can he? So I removed him from it."

"Old Ding's new position is Deputy Director of the Alien Zoo Scientific Research Center. Ji Tianhe is the director. Their work remains unchanged; only their titles have changed, and their salaries have been adjusted slightly. It's a normal personnel transfer."

"A slight salary adjustment? Did it go up or down?" Zhao Yiyi pressed.

"You directors earn 180,000 a month, right? Ding Yangze is the same. His salary has also gone up to 180,000 a month," Song He said casually.

After the voice messages finished playing, the office fell silent again.

Ding Yangze's listless little eyes suddenly became far too bright, and even his back straightened!

He was like a fish swimming in a kitchen water tank, originally terrified and uneasy, only to suddenly learn that this was the kitchen of the Titanic!

It was obvious he was desperately holding back laughter. His lips were pressed into a tight line, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward anyway!

Ning Mo and Zhang Zhilei had both been full of sympathy and pity for Ding Yangze, but now they were dumbfounded. All sympathy vanished as they glared at him with annoyed, speechless fury.

"Now that we know it's a normal work transfer, that's fine." Ding Yangze happily picked up his chopsticks. "Eat, eat!"

"Eat my ass!" Zhao Yiyi was the first to slam the table. "What are you, getting the same pay as me? Song He is playing favorites!"

"Get out, Old Ding! This is a directors' meeting!" Ning Mo snapped crudely. "You're not qualified to attend!"

"Out, out, out!" Zhang Zhilei also lost it. "Get out and eat somewhere else!"

"Hey, don't be like that. We've worked together for so long, our friendship runs deep. At the very least, this farewell meal should—"

Before Ding Yangze could finish, the three directors went mad and started beating him. Ding Yangze fled in a sorry state, then burst into wild, smug laughter in the hallway!

Zhao Yiyi, Ning Mo, and Zhang Zhilei sat back down and picked up their chopsticks, but they all felt that the food had lost its flavor. None of them had any appetite left.

Still, they were not truly jealous enough to be unable to eat. Everyone had seen how Old Ding had worked himself skin and bones doing experiments. A raise for him was perfectly reasonable.

Knock, knock, knock! The office door was suddenly knocked on.

"Come in!" Zhao Yiyi said, turning her head curiously.

The door opened slightly, and a Red-haired Gorilla poked his head inside. It was Durian.

"I heard tonight was the meeting time for the directors and deputy directors?" Durian asked. "Can I attend?"

"Sure, come in." Zhao Yiyi welcomed him with a smile. "It's really just dinner and some chatting."

Durian walked over and looked at Ding Yangze's lunch box. "Whose is this?"

"Yours. Go ahead and eat," Ning Mo said decisively. "No need to be polite."

Durian thanked him, picked up the chopsticks, and began eating from the lunch box.

"Teacher Song, Teacher Xiang, and Teacher Wang visited your home for a while today?" Zhao Yiyi probed for information. "What did you talk about?"

"Just casual conversation. We talked about Orange Juice selling cigarettes and alcohol, and I volunteered to help manage the gorillas and monkeys. We talked about books we'd read recently and about income," Durian said. "That was all."

"How has business been lately, Durian?" Zhang Zhilei asked casually. "You must make quite a bit in a day, right?"

"It's been alright lately. I make 120,000 a day," Durian said casually.

The three humans who were stuffing their faces choked, especially Ning Mo and Zhang Zhilei, who nearly choked to death on the spot.

One minute later, in the hallway.

Several hands worked together to fling Durian violently out the door. He stumbled and nearly landed on his backside.

The office door slammed shut with a bang, the furious sound echoing through the hallway! "Hey, don't be like that!" Durian stood outside and knocked on the door. "We're all colleagues! Why be so heartless?"

"Get lost!" The impotent, furious roars of three humans came from inside.

Durian shrank his neck, turned, and left. Muttering under his breath, he said, "Humans really are so jealous... Fine, no meeting then. I'll go back early and sleep, rest up so I can be a volunteer tomorrow morning."