Feeding

The nation's number one zoo... aren't you Pro Hero?

Although national policies allow Pro Hero to pursue side jobs and do things they enjoy outside of their official duties, the idea of a Pro Hero aiming to build the nation's number one zoo is just as absurd as a demon lord from another world wanting to be the best employee at a fast-food restaurant!

After saying this cryptic thing to Jilan, the rabbit zookeeper left, telling Jilan to find the zookeeper after she finished packing her things, and that the Jilan what to do.

Jilan didn't have much to tidy up, but the room was covered in dust. Jilan was a bit of a clean freak, so he grabbed a bucket from the corner and started cleaning.

Half an hour later, the surface of the room was almost dust-free. Jilan clapped her hands in satisfaction and left the room.

The zoo only has a few dozen animals, but each animal is a different species, and their eyes are more expressive than those of animals in a typical zoo.

Jilan found Aoi Hana by a pond; she was using a hose to give a hippo a cool shower.

The hippopotamus whimpered a few times when it saw Jilan approaching. Aoi Hana turned around after seeing the hippopotamus's movements and saw Jilan walking towards her.

"Jilan, you're here." Aoi Hana put down the hose and sighed. "I heard from the director that you'll be doing an internship at this zoo this week, working as a zookeeper just like me."

Jilan nodded. "That's right, please give me your guidance, senior."

Aoi Hana shook her head. "I wouldn't call it guidance. I just want to say that they are not ordinary animals, so please don't treat them like they're being abused in a circus."

Jilan suddenly asked, "They're not ordinary animals, does that mean they have Quirk?"

"No, that's not it. Oh dear, explaining would be too much trouble. Since the director has let you stay here, it means he wants you to know this secret so you can see it for yourself after the park closes."

After saying this, Aoi Hana explained to Jilan the things he usually needed to pay attention to, "Normally, the zoo opens at nine o'clock, so we need to get up at eight o'clock in the morning to do some cleaning for the animals and sweep the whole park."

At this point, Aoi Hana sighed, "Although no one came."

That's true. Jilan felt that this zoo was not well-known at all. Only some locals had heard of it, and it was so far from the city center that hardly anyone would come all the way to the zoo just to see a few dozen animals. It wasn't a circus troupe.

She gathered her thoughts and continued, "The park is divided into four areas: east, west, south, and north. Lions, wolves, and other ferocious beasts are in the north area; hippos, elephants, and other powerful and large animals are in the west area; the south area is a mixed area with snakes, eagles, and the east area is a novelty area with relatively rare animals like seals."

"And what about the middle?" Jilan pointed to the tall male statue in the middle of the zoo. It was clearly a sculpture of the Pro Hero Mad Rabbit, who was also the zookeeper. The statue had a rabbit head and was holding a carrot aloft, seemingly imitating the Statue of Liberty in the United States.

"That's the second-generation statue that the director spent a year sculpting. The house next to the statue is where the director lives. If possible, it's best to stay away from that place," Aoi Hana said with a wry smile. "Any other questions?"

"I shouldn't really be asking this question, but Ms. Aoi looks only a few years older than me. Why would you be working at a zoo with no future when you should be in college?"

"There's no future in it, that's true. This story goes back to the summer after my junior high school years. I'll tell you about it when I have time."

Aoi Hana glanced at her watch, then looked at Jilan and suddenly asked, "Jilan- kun, do you like animals?"

"Animals? Animals without spirits, like pigs, cows, and sheep, become my food. I don't know what feelings I have for them. It's not love, it's more like gratitude."

"It's not the artificially fed kind," Aoi Hana said with a wry smile. "Even I eat meat. I'm asking about animals that aren't directly related to you in the food chain."

Jilan thought for a moment and said, "If I had to choose, I like cats."

"Cats? I like them too!" Aoi Hana's eyes lit up. "Jilan- kun, it's feeding time for the animals now, want to come along?"

"Seals love to bask in the sun. When they get tired of diving, they'll suddenly surface and rest on the shore, which is when we can feed them." Aoi Hana held a lively fish in her hand and instructed, "When feeding them, remember to hold them by the tail and start feeding from the head, otherwise the gills might get stuck in their throats."

As Jilan watched the seals eat the fish she had fed them and then rest on the shore, a strange sense of accomplishment welled up inside her. This was a rather novel experience for Jilan; she had never fed wild animals before, let alone seals, in either her previous or current life.

Next, the two carried another 100 kilograms of leaves, fruits, and weeds to the elephant, where he and the giraffe stood side by side and ate the food.

After Jilan helped Aoi Hana feed the lions over ten kilograms of beef, he couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Aoi, this zoo is practically deserted, isn't it? Considering that lions and other animals consume a hundred kilograms of raw meat a day, the ticket revenue simply can't cover the expenses, right?"

Aoi Hana gave a wry smile, "That's right, you could say that there's basically no ticket revenue usually, but they have partners outside who earn money."

Partner?

The name "Aoi Hana" confused Jilan. What kind of partner could earn money outside? Could it be that some animals from the zoo were sold to the circus because of their excessive need for food?

Time flies, and soon it was time for the park to close.

"No one came today."

"Yes."

Jilan, holding a book in her hand and with a ceramic water cup provided by Aoi Hana beside her, sat at the entrance of the zoo like an old gatekeeper.

Aoi Hana sat on a small stool, leaning against a broom, and sighed.

At 4:44, Jilan, who was still reading by the sunlight, suddenly felt a shadow quickly pass over her book. This shadow was like the interval between dusk and night. The bright sunlight just now suddenly made Jilan feel gloomy.

Aoi Hana stretched and stood up, shaking her somewhat heavy head. She smiled and said, "Jilan- kun, it's closing time. Be prepared to watch what happens next."

Just Jilan was about to answer her, suddenly, all the animals in the park howled at the same time. Although there were only about thirty of them, they seemed to have an overwhelming momentum.

Click.

The sound of locks being opened came from somewhere, and several animals rushed out of their cages at the same time. Eagles, lions, and gorillas broke free of their restraints and rushed towards the scene as if staging an escape, creating clouds of dust!

Jilan instinctively shielded Aoi Hana behind her before realizing that they weren't facing the main gate, but rather the counterfeit Statue of the Director of Liberty!

"Jilan, weren't you wondering? Now's the time to clear things up for you." Aoi Hana stepped forward from behind Jilan and strode towards the statue.

"Do you want some answers? I'd like to know what exactly caused this riot."

Jilan put the book in the ticket booth and followed Aoi Hana.