Tang Tang nodded, "Then be careful."
Ning Wei set her alarm, took a shower, and went to sleep.
When the alarm went off in the middle of the night, Ning Wei immediately turned it off, changed in the dark, and quietly left the dormitory.
The entire zoo was enveloped in silence. Solar-powered lamp posts, emitting a dim, yellowish light, were placed at intervals.
Ning Wei walked along the path, occasionally hearing animal sounds, with wolf howls being the most frequent.
She glanced at the moon in the sky and thought that it was no wonder the wolves were howling so much; the moonlight was too brilliant.
Ning Wei was the only living person moving in the entire zoo. A cold wind blew from behind, sending shivers down her spine.
Ning Wei's fingers twitched slightly. She then turned around abruptly, pinning a blood-soaked ghost to a tree trunk.
The next second, Ning Wei took two steps back. The reason the ghost was covered in blood was because its skin had been peeled off.
Only glistening flesh and blood were visible, with veins pulsing intermittently. The most terrifying aspect was its face: bulging eyes, teeth bared, and strands of red flesh clinging to its teeth.
"Where did you go to eat?"
The ghost paused for a moment, then lunged at Ning Wei again.
Ning Wei acted again, forming a seal to temporarily bind the ghost to the tree trunk, and then she sprinted towards the panda enclosure.
She hadn't run far before the ghost broke free and gave chase.
At this point, Ning Wei had reached the perimeter of the panda enclosure. She noticed the ghost hadn't followed her, so she turned back. She saw the ghost lingering outside the panda enclosure, but it refused to enter.
Although puzzled, time was running out. Ning Wei had to set this aside for now and go to the monitoring room for her shift change.
"Why are you only just arriving?" The one complaining was Xiao Qi, who was in charge of the early part of the night shift.
Ning Wei glanced at the clock on the wall, "It's not even midnight yet, is it? I'm not late. I'm very punctual. You can clock out a minute early. No need to thank me, bye!"
She spoke so rapidly that Xiao Qi had no chance to retort, only managing to huff angrily, grab her clothes from the chair, and leave the monitoring room.
The panda in the monitor was not yet showing signs of giving birth. Ning Wei watched the screen, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.
For instance, where had Fu Chengwei gone?
Where did that flayed ghost come from?
This was a zoo. Only animals were supposed to die here, not people.
Unless the zoo was built on a site where people had died before, but that didn't make sense. The zoo had been here for many years. If it were ghosts from the past, they would have long since dissipated or reincarnated.
As she pondered, Ning Wei suddenly recalled a story she had heard at a Taoist temple.
It was said that in ancient times, there were people who knew the art of skin-switching. They roamed the villages, snatching children. After taking them away, they would peel off their human skin and attach the fur of other animals to their bodies.
Over time, the animal fur would grow as if it were naturally part of the human body, and the person would gradually become like an animal, losing the instinct to escape and only knowing obedience, yet possessing a spark of intelligence beyond ordinary animals.
These man-made animals were highly sought after by the wealthy.
Some circus performers also liked to buy one or two such animals, as they could significantly increase their income.
However, this wicked art had disappeared long ago. Besides, would a zoo run out of animals? It seemed unlikely they would engage in such illegal activities.
All of this was just speculation, and she needed to investigate further.
She wondered if Fu Chengwei's disappearance was related to this dark art.
If that were the case, it would mean losing a passenger on her very first day.
Ning Wei's head began to ache from overthinking. She simply lay down on the table to watch the monitor.
The giant panda on the screen had fallen asleep but seemed restless, shifting positions occasionally. It hadn't touched the fruit that the staff had prepared for it.
This monitoring room not only covered the entire panda enclosure but also had a camera in the corner that could transmit the footage directly to the park director's office.
Therefore, Ning Wei forced herself to stay alert, determined not to give the director any reason to criticize her.
Fu Chengwei's disappearance was definitely related to something, but his current condition, dead or alive, was uncertain.
The flayed ghost also needed to be investigated. Perhaps its identity could uncover the zoo's secrets.
As Ning Wei pondered, she kept an eye on the pregnant giant panda. Around five in the morning, as dawn began to break, the panda seemed to show signs of going into labor.
The park director had previously instructed that if the panda was about to give birth, he should be notified immediately. He had also arranged for relevant personnel to handle it.
The "relevant personnel" were staff members with birthing experience.
This was not a matter to be taken lightly. Ning Wei immediately picked up the phone on the desk and dialed the park director's office.
As soon as the phone rang twice, the director's voice came through, "Has the giant panda given birth?"
"No, I just feel like she's about to give birth. I'm new to the zoo and not very knowledgeable. Perhaps you could call an experienced staff member to check?"
"Alright, I'll send someone over immediately. If the giant panda gives birth, remember to call me again."
"Okay."
Less than ten minutes later, a staff member arrived at the panda enclosure on a small electric scooter.
This person was also an employee of the panda enclosure, named Liu Yang. He was an old hand at the zoo and had delivered several animal births.
Liu Yang first observed the situation in the monitoring room, then said to Ning Wei, "She's about to give birth. I need to prepare other things. Ask the director to send two more helpers."
Ning Wei notified the director again.
Hearing that the panda was indeed about to give birth, the director's voice sounded very excited.
"The zoo will finally have a new little member!"
Ning Wei didn't quite understand the reason for his excitement. After all, with so many tourists visiting the zoo every day, it must be very profitable, and buying a couple of animals should be easy.
The staff responsible for the delivery began to arrive, and even the park director came to the panda enclosure, appearing very excited.
It was already six in the morning, and Ning Wei's overtime shift was ending. However, she would have to start her regular shift again in two hours.
Despite his excitement, the park director saw Ning Wei yawning and felt a sense of relief.
"You did an excellent job tonight. You should go back to your dormitory and rest."
Ning Wei politely declined, "No need. Perhaps I could stay and help if there's anything I can do."
The director waved his hand, "You wouldn't know how to help with this, and those experienced staff members have their own methods. They prefer not to have others watching, as it's part of their livelihood. Do you understand?"
Ning Wei wasn't very familiar with promotions and salary increases, but she didn't want to make the round trip. So she probed further, "Then I'll go rest in the lounge. My shift starts soon."
The director waved his hand grandly, "Go back and sleep. Just be here for your shift at two o'clock this afternoon."