Acting?

Zhao Dalong, Lao Zhang, and the veterinarians were all stunned for a moment, then their faces showed a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Tsk, to think he faked being sick all morning just to see someone?"

Chen Ze continued, "His intelligence is just incredible!"

Lao Zhang was the most speechless. He rubbed his face and griped, "I’ve dealt with him for so many years, and I never knew Vajra had such great ’acting skills.’ That listless, weak appearance this morning... he faked it so convincingly!"

"All I can say is, Vajra is exceptionally talented. It’s a shame he didn’t go into show business," Hu Haodong chimed in with a laugh.

"So, the person Vajra wanted to see was Xiao Yang?"

Zhao Dalong came back to his senses and looked uncertainly toward Yang Qi. "Has Vajra met Xiao Yang before?"

"I don’t think so?"

Lao Zhang recalled carefully. "The area Xiao Yang is in charge of isn’t close to here. I haven’t seen them interact before."

"Is it possible..."

Hu Haodong stroked his chin and began his wild speculation in a deadpan tone, "Vajra sensed that unique ’Druid’ aura on Brother Qi from afar and thought Brother Qi could help him. But since he couldn’t see Brother Qi, he just put on this whole act to ’lure’ him over?"

"Yeah, that must be it," Chen Ze agreed.

This speculation...

Although it sounded fantastical, when they combined it with Yang Qi’s various incredible feats at the zoo and Vajra’s abnormal behavior today, everyone suddenly felt...

...that it actually made some sense?

For a moment, the men looked at each other, at a loss for words.

...

Meanwhile.

Yang Qi, being pulled along by Vajra, was also at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.

Vajra gesticulated wildly at him.

[The tasty stuff the monkey mentioned]

[You know where it is]

[Help me out, get me some too]

[I’m begging you]

...

’The monkey?’

’That’s got to be Great Sage!’

’Vajra knows Great Sage. The two clever creatures must have "communicated" in some way.’

’Great Sage couldn’t bring the Monkey Wine back, so he just "sold out" Yang Qi, who knew where the wine was and how to get it.’

’And this guy, Vajra, went so far as to fake being sick just to see me, tormenting his keeper and the veterinarians all morning.’

’These two are something else, each one craftier than the last,’ Yang Qi thought, feeling both annoyed and amused.

He steadied his emotions and faced Vajra, whose eyes were eager and full of expectation.

Yang Qi gestured with his hands while speaking in a soft, slow voice, "The tasty stuff, no problem. I know what you want. But not now. We have to wait until tonight, after dark, understand? I can only give it to you tonight."

Vajra understood the key phrases "tasty stuff" and "tonight." His eyes instantly lit up, and he nodded eagerly, letting out a low grunt to show he understood, his eyes filled with joy.

[Okay]

[Thanks!]

"You’re welcome."

Yang Qi smiled and patted Vajra’s muscular, coarse-haired shoulder. "But don’t pretend to be sick again, okay? You scared Uncle Zhang and the veterinarians, and it affects the other visitors too."

Vajra immediately looked away, pretending not to understand. He looked up at the sky, then raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, putting on an innocent "what are you talking about, I don’t get it" expression.

Yang Qi saw this and knew there was no point in saying more. Once Vajra got his wine, his goal would be achieved, and he likely wouldn’t act up again.

Without another word, he turned and left.

Back by the small gate, facing the probing gazes of Zhao Dalong, Lao Zhang, and the others, Yang Qi casually explained, "It’s fine now. Vajra wanted me because he wants a change of scenery. He’s a bit ’tired’ of his current place. I communicated with him and managed to calm him down for now."

"A change of scenery?"

Hearing this, Lao Zhang’s brow furrowed. This was no small matter.

The enrichment and environmental design of the gorilla enclosure had been approved by experts. It couldn’t be changed on a whim, as it involved factors like safety, animal welfare, and visitor experience.

"This... this is a rather big problem."

Of course, Yang Qi couldn’t solve the problem of moving the gorilla, but he had already prepared an excuse. "I told Vajra that I can’t decide on this request. I have to report it to the higher-ups, and it will take a few days to get a result. He seemed to understand and has stopped acting up for now."

"See!"

The moment Hu Haodong heard this, he perked up and said to the others with a grin, "I told you! Vajra must have sensed that unique ’Druid’ aura on Brother Qi from afar and thought Brother Qi had vast Divine Abilities and could solve his problem. That’s why he put on this act to ’summon’ Brother Qi for help! Now that Brother Qi has promised to help ’report’ it, of course he’s calmed down!"

Hearing this, Yang Qi glanced at Hu Haodong, inwardly amused, and silently gave the guy a thumbs-up.

’What a great assist!’

’Although the reason sounds a bit ridiculous, it’s actually pretty close to the truth in a way, and it bypasses the core issue of the "Monkey Wine" that I can’t explain.’

’It’s a bit fantastical, but that’s just how it is. Take it or leave it.’

...

Now that they "knew" the "crux" of the problem, Yang Qi didn’t stay any longer. He said his goodbyes to Zhao Dalong and Lao Zhang and left.

How to "report it upwards," how to pacify Vajra, and whether to actually consider adjusting the environmental enrichment were now problems for the zoo’s management to worry about.

After lunch, Yang Qi made a solo trip to the back mountain.

He brought an empty mineral water bottle, found the old tree where Great Sage hid the wine, and filled the bottle about halfway with Monkey Wine.

Then, it was time to wait.

He waited until midnight, when all was silent.

Yang Qi changed into a set of dark clothes and quietly left his dorm.

Emulating Great Sage, he didn’t take the ground paths. Instead, relying on the Spirit Crane Body Technique and his increasingly strong physique, he swiftly wove and leaped between the zoo’s roadside and ornamental trees. His figure was like a phantom in the night, skillfully avoiding the line of sight of the night patrol guards and the angles of the surveillance cameras.

Soon, Yang Qi arrived behind the gorilla enclosure, in an area with dense vegetation and no surveillance cameras.

This spot was right next to the gorilla enclosure’s high outer wall and the wire mesh on top.

Yang Qi landed lightly on a large branch of a tree near the wall and steadied himself.

Sensing Yang Qi’s arrival, a huge black shadow slowly emerged from the shadows inside the gorilla enclosure. It was Vajra.

He tilted his head up, looking through the wire mesh roof toward Yang Qi’s position, his eyes glittering in the darkness with excited anticipation.

Yang Qi didn’t delay. He took out the mineral water bottle that was half-full of Monkey Wine.

He focused his mind and mobilized his Magical Power.

"Small Transport Technique!"

An invisible wave of Magical Power spread out, enveloping the mineral water bottle.

As Vajra stared with wide, incredulous eyes, the bottle seemed to be held by an invisible hand. It left Yang Qi’s palm, flew steadily and silently across a distance of nearly ten meters, passed through a hole in the wire mesh roof, and gently came to a stop in front of Vajra.

Vajra didn’t move.