The following day:
At 6:30 in the morning, the alarm clock rang.
Fang Ye yawned, rubbed his tired eyes, and went through his morning routine, including washing and brushing his teeth. He then casually strolled downstairs.
The cafeteria was located across from the staff dormitory. Even before he entered, the enticing aroma of steamed buns greeted him.
"Hey, Lao Zhang, what's on the menu today?" Fang Ye vaguely remembered as he raised his voice, taking a seat at a table.
The cafeteria was practically empty, with no one around except for him, giving it a somewhat chilly atmosphere.
There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the number of employees was limited, with Linhai Zoo currently having no more than 20 staff members, including ticket inspectors, security guards, and Zhang Zhang in the cafeteria.
The second reason was the zoo's distance from the city center. Tourists tended to arrive later in the day, so there was no need for the staff to rise too early.
Lao Zhang's plump face peered out from the white enamel kitchen window, and he greeted Fang Ye warmly with a regional accent, "Why is the boss up so early! For breakfast today, we've got fried dough sticks, steamed buns, eggs, tofu, and pickles! As for lunch, we've got stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, gourd, and pork. What's your order?"
Fang Ye smiled and nodded, "I'll have a bowl of tofu with some green onions on top, two fried dough sticks, and some of your wife's homemade radish pickles."
"Sure thing!" Two dimples appeared on Lao Zhang's kind face, and his eyes narrowed with a smile. "If the boss likes them, I'll have him make more next time!"
In the year when Linhai Zoo was just established, Lao Zhang was already an employee. He was considered a veteran, having witnessed the zoo's journey through its highs and lows—back when the zoo was at its peak, a ticket used to sell for 40 yuan!
Now, every morning, he would drive his old van to the nearest farmer's market to purchase fresh vegetables and meat for the zoo, including animal food. He would then return home to prepare breakfast with his wife, displaying remarkable dedication and diligence.
This was one of the reasons why Fang Ye held Lao Zhang in high regard.
The large, tender chunks of tofu were immersed in a rich, dark brown sauce, glistening with a subtle sheen. Sprinkled with fresh coriander and green onions, the dish exuded an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.
Fang Ye picked up a crispy fried dough stick and dipped it into the tofu sauce while opening the system panel, ready to check on something.
Huh?
With a mouthful of fritters soaked in the sauce, Fang Ye suddenly froze. There was a subtle feeling that something was amiss.
After searching for a while, he finally discovered the change. He was left dumbfounded, exclaiming, "The popularity value is 352?"
How had the popularity value risen to 352? He distinctly remembered it being 43 just yesterday.
An increase in the popularity value was undeniably a good thing; it indicated that the zoo's popularity had grown and could be used for lottery draws. However, the key question was why it had increased inexplicably.
Strange indeed, strange indeed.
Fang Ye furrowed his brow, lost in thought. While his mouth continued to chew, he unconsciously devoured a fried dough stick and subtly maneuvered his chopsticks to pick up a few more pickled radish sticks.
...
In the meantime, the thoughtful Luna entered the cafeteria. She cautiously took a seat across from Fang Ye, mouth slightly agape as she hesitated to speak, her hands neatly placed on her lap.
Fang Ye looked up and noticed another person sitting across from him. He greeted her cheerfully, "Hey, Luna! You're joining me to clean the tiger enclosure later."
He spoke, then paused, realizing something was amiss. He muttered, "What's wrong? That sounded like something a primary school student would say."
Luna's eyes welled up with tears as she touched the tips of her index fingers, struggling to find the right words. After a moment, she confessed, "Boss, I'm sorry. I uploaded the picture of you with the tiger to my friends' Moments without your permission. You... you can deduct my salary!"
Fang Ye waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ah, it's not a big deal." However, his expression suddenly changed, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Oh, the inexplicable increase in popularity was your doing!
It had been puzzling him for quite a while.
Luna's face turned slightly red, and she quickly explained, "Boss, it's not as simple as just posting to Moments. Some of my friends reposted the photos on Weibo without asking me, and it spread quickly. Many netizens have been sharing and commenting on them. It may have some negative impact on you... I didn't expect this, and I'm really sorry."
She was genuinely regretful, as she hadn't anticipated that the few casual photos she had taken would cause such a stir on the internet.
Fang Ye cautiously raised his eyebrows and noticed that his expression wasn't the frustration she had expected when he received the news. Instead, he seemed... elated?
"That's great! I was actually trying to increase our zoo's visibility. How many people have reposted it?"
Fang Ye smacked his thigh, opened Weibo with enthusiasm, and directly searched for the keyword "tiger."
"Hmm, dozens of reposts, hundreds of comments..." Luna blinked, still not entirely convinced. "Director, does it really matter?"
Fang Ye shook his head in mild disappointment. It seemed that this year's netizens weren't quite as enthusiastic as he had hoped.
Just thinking about it, it was unrealistic to expect a few photos to make Linhai Zoo famous overnight. At the very least, he would need the Tiger Pavilion to be completed and open to the public.
Looking at the anxious Luna, he couldn't help but feel that she was a well-intentioned person.
Seeing her anxious, Fang Ye reassured her, saying, "This is a good thing, and besides, you didn't do it intentionally. So, don't worry too much."
"Really?" Luna asked, her eyes hopeful.
"Yes!" Fang Ye affirmed.
luna finally broke into a smile, clasping her hands to her chest and letting out a sigh of relief.
"Master Zhang! I'll have a bowl of tofu brain and a steamed bun!"
The search results were sorted by relevance by default, and Fang Ye clicked on one of the posts. Sorting the results by time, he found his own post at the top.
In addition to the knee pillow photo, there were scenes of him grinning broadly, patting Jiaojiao's head, and holding Jiaojiao's neck, among others.
Netizens were buzzing in the comments below:
"The tiger cub is so cute!"
"Hey, hey, won't the tiger cub bite people? I'm scared!"
"A fake hunk gains attention by flexing his muscles; a real hunk touches a tiger's nose with a smile!"
"I used to have a friend just like him, but now the grass at the head of his grave is two meters high!"
"My little brother is so handsome!"
Fang Ye chuckled and said, "Hey, are you all telling the truth?"
However, as Luna had mentioned, there were also many skeptical and critical comments:
"Is this picture photoshopped? Who would dare to touch a tiger like this?"
"Maybe he's been in fights since he was a child and has mellowed out."
These comments made Fang Ye realize that not everyone was convinced that the photos were genuine.