This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Chapter 276 The poor rabbit, used for wiping...

Looking at the words, Wasim's brow furrowed deeply: "What on earth does this even mean?"

Lin Feng's gaze shifted between the man in the long robe, the white ape, and the vaguely visible stone entrance in the photo.

He shook his head: "'Bingchen Year' should be the year in the Republic of China era, but I'm not sure which year it is exactly."

He was, after all, just a programmer and wasn't very sensitive to these historical dates.

Then, Lin Feng pointed to the words "atonement":

"I haven't seen this term much before... but 'offering sacrifices to the mountain,' 'offering sacrifices to the spirits,' and 'to bring peace to the underworld' all sound like some kind of ritual to appease the souls of the dead."

He paused, his tone growing more somber: "This old photograph, and this white ape, are probably related to some kind of ritual—to bring peace to the dead."

"A sacrifice?" Vassim squinted, pointing at the white ape in the photograph. "Could this white ape have been a sacrifice back then?"

Upon hearing this, a thoughtful look flashed in Lin Feng's eyes:

"This reminds me of a Chinese animated series called 'Boonie Bears,' in which there is a mountain god named Tuanzi, who is also all white."

Vassim's expression changed: "If this white ape is the mountain god... then these people are incredibly audacious! How dare they use a mountain god for sacrifice? Aren't they afraid of divine retribution?"

"Unless they were under an extremely terrible curse, they would not have been willing to do something as extreme as sacrificing the mountain god to atone for their sins."

Lin Feng's tone turned serious. "Of course, all of this is just our speculation. Without solid evidence, we cannot draw any conclusions."

Wasim then turned his gaze back to the artificial mountain in the background of the photo: "I wonder if that artificial mountain in the photo is still in the zoo?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "It's hard to say. After all, more than a hundred years have passed, and the park must have undergone many renovations and expansions. The original landscape has probably changed dramatically."

At this point, Lin Feng looked up at a 45-degree angle into the void, as if speaking to an invisible being:

"Strategy team, we're counting on you this time."

The strategy team can release a hint every twelve hours. Instead of the two of them guessing and pondering here, it would be better to hand over the difficult problem to the expert team behind them.

Just then, the door to the management office was pushed open.

Two men, both dressed in dark green zookeeper uniforms, walked in—

A tall, thin man with alert eyes and a typical Central Asian face.

The other was shorter, stocky, with slightly curly brown hair, bearing the features of an Eastern European.

They were visibly taken aback when they saw Lin Feng, Vassim, and the weak Qu Cheng lying on the bed inside the room.

Lin Feng calmly put the photo into his pocket and explained:

"Oh, we were patrolling the back of the bear enclosure when we saw this colleague accidentally fall down the slope. He looked quite weak, so we carried him back to rest."

As he spoke, he gave Wasim a wink:

"We still have patrol duties to perform, so please keep an eye on this area."

With that, the two walked straight out of the management office.

The door closed gently behind me.

Lying on the bed, Qu Cheng slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the two Chosen Ones in their zookeeper uniforms at the door in the dim light.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as deep and heavy as dusty iron:

"You two remember this: don't utter a single word of what you see or hear here today."

"If you want to live, let it rot inside you!"

The two men tensed up, exchanged a glance, and nodded vigorously.

........................

The subsequent patrol was exceptionally peaceful. The two walked steadily along the park's trails, patrolling back and forth between the Crocodile Pool, Tiger Roaring Valley, Wolf Valley, Bear Park, and Lion Park several times.

Everything seemed to be in perfect order, without triggering any rules.

Time quickly came to 11:50, and it was time to leave work.

The two quickened their pace and headed towards the guard post in the Lion Garden.

Upon entering the pavilion, the lion-eared woman was tidying up the documents on the table. Seeing the two approaching, her amber eyes curved into a smile, and her tone softened:

"Patrol's over? It's lunchtime, Lin Feng, want to eat together in the pavilion? I brought a bento box."

Lin Feng's gaze subconsciously swept over the information panel above the lion-eared girl's head—her conquest index was only two stars.

It's really not very interesting!

Apologetic smile appeared on Lin Feng's face:

"No, thank you for your kindness."

"Wasim and I have already arranged to meet our colleagues at the cafeteria, so we won't bother you any longer."

A hint of disappointment flashed in the lion-eared girl's eyes, but she didn't insist. She simply nodded and said, "Alright then, be careful on the road."

The two quickly clocked out on the terminal and walked briskly out of the security booth.

As you walk along the main road of the park, the number of tourists gradually decreases, with most heading towards the exit or the restaurant.

A few minutes later, the familiar gray building of the staff canteen came into view.

As soon as they reached the entrance of the cafeteria, they saw two familiar figures—Chiba Saori and Songxi.

Their clothes were covered in dust and stains, and a few withered leaves clung to their trouser legs. Their faces were exhausted, clearly showing that the morning's cleaning work had taken a great toll on them.

After the four greeted each other, Vassim hurriedly asked, "Where's Grace? Isn't she with you?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the smiles on Chiba Saori and Songxi's faces vanished instantly, replaced by an undisguised fear and heaviness.

Chiba Saori bit her lower lip and uttered a few words with difficulty: "Grace... she... is gone."

Wasim frowned: "Dead?"

Songxi nodded, his voice a little hoarse:

"She was assigned to be a security guard in the herbivore area today. Around 10 a.m., a female tourist with a child, for some reason, grabbed a rabbit in the enclosure, pulled it out, and tried to wipe her child's... bottom."

"Grace went to stop her, and the woman suddenly exploded and slapped her—"

She paused.

"That slap was so fast you couldn't even see it. Grace's neck... just like that," Songsi raised his hand, stiffly turning half a circle, "twisted."

Lin Feng listened quietly, his face expressionless.

Wasim gritted his teeth and forced out a few words: "Use rabbits...to wipe your butt?"

Songxi lowered his eyelids, his voice hoarse: "In this godforsaken place, what 'normality' is there anymore?"

"The rabbit died later, and its body, along with Grace's, was taken away by the staff."

........................

Studio:

"Using a rabbit to wipe your butt?? Am I crazy, or is this tourist crazy?"

"Is this parent a messenger from hell? What did the rabbit do wrong...?"

"About My Experience Learning Outrageous Performance Art in the World of Ghost Stories"

"Poor Grace... barely any scenes, and then filming was over (candle)."

Parent: Taking care of kids always requires some creative cleaning methods (doge emoji)

"Rabbit: Damn it, I want to be a hedgehog in my next life!"