Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Why Is Lion Thunderbolt Crying?

The giraffe’s comment left Renee Jennings unsure whether to laugh or cry.

The giraffe had scared the antelopes into scattering, while the zebras casually strolled nearby.

After bullying the antelopes, the giraffe returned to Renee Jennings and snickered, "That was fun."

"Why do you only pick on the antelopes?" Renee Jennings’s gaze fell on the zebras. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren’t the zebras fun to play with?"

The giraffe slowly turned its head toward the zebras, its tone laced with disdain. "That one has a bad temper."

Renee Jennings: "..."

’Even animals know to pick on the easy-going ones?’

’Poor antelopes.’

The poor, bullied antelopes didn’t dare retaliate. They could only privately warn the others to stay far, far away from the giraffes, saying those long-necked jerks were just awful.

Renee Jennings gave the giraffe a lecture, urging it to get along with the antelopes and stop bullying them.

The giraffe verbally agreed, but whether it would actually change its ways remained to be seen.

After a little while, Renee Jennings went to see the other animals.

The arrow on a signpost pointed toward a Lion Park not far away.

Renee Jennings headed over. Before the Lion Park even came into view, she heard the wailing roars of the king of the savanna.

’Why is it crying?’

A hint of confusion crossed Renee Jennings’s face as she quickened her pace toward the viewing platform.

The Lion Park was another popular attraction for tourists, and the viewing platform was packed.

Renee Jennings couldn’t squeeze through the crowd. She had to stand on her tiptoes, trying to peer into the Lion Park through the gaps between people’s heads.

’Good thing I’m not nearsighted.’

Renee Jennings saw several lionesses surrounding a male lion with a thick, dense mane.

The crying sound wasn’t coming from any of them.

’Then who’s crying?’

Renee Jennings furrowed her brow slightly and carefully squeezed her way in, murmuring "excuse me" to the tourists as she went.

She finally squeezed her way to the glass and carefully scanned the enclosure. At last, she spotted a tail next to some scattered boulders.

Renee Jennings shifted her position again, and a tourist beside her shot her an impatient glare.

"What’s with all the pushing? Can’t you see from over there?"

Renee Jennings muttered an "I’m sorry" and shuffled a few more steps until she could finally see the male lion, crouched by the boulder, crying.

Several nearby tourists were talking amongst themselves.

"Why does Thunderbolt keep making that noise? And why isn’t he playing with the other lions?"

"Yeah, it’s so strange."

Renee Jennings listened quietly to the male lion Thunderbolt’s cries.

"BOOHOO... I’m mad! I’m really, really mad!"

"How could you treat me like this? It’s too cruel!"

"You didn’t consider my feelings at all! BOOHOO... You’re all so mean, so heartless!"

Thunderbolt sobbed, pouring out his sorrows.

After listening for a moment, Renee Jennings pushed her way out of the crowd, found a relatively quiet spot, and pulled out her phone to call Faye Wyatt.

"Renee Jennings?" Faye Wyatt sounded pleasantly surprised when she answered. "What’s the occasion?"

Renee Jennings said softly, "Director Wyatt, I’m at the park right now."

"You’re here?" Faye Wyatt said, her voice full of smiles. "Where are you? Come to my office for some tea."

"I’m at the Lion Park," Renee Jennings explained. "I think something’s strange with the male lion, Thunderbolt."

"Is that so?" Faye Wyatt’s voice turned serious. "I’m on my way to the Lion Park to meet you."

After hanging up, Renee Jennings walked back near the viewing platform, watching Thunderbolt from a distance.

After a short while, a gentle voice called out from behind her. "Renee Jennings."

She turned her head and saw Faye Wyatt. Waving her hand, she said, "Director Wyatt."

Faye Wyatt strode toward her, accompanied by a young, monolid man in a black polo shirt emblazoned with the words "Zenvia Wildlife Park."

"This is our animal consultant, Renee Jennings. She needs no introduction, I’m sure," Faye Wyatt said to the young man beside her.

"Hello, Consultant Jennings," the young man said quickly. "Director Griffin was always singing your praises."

Faye Wyatt looked at Renee Jennings and said with a smile, "This is the deputy director of the Lion Park, Carol Morgan."

"Hello." Renee Jennings gave a slight nod, her expression serious. "I heard from the tourists that Thunderbolt has been making noise all day?"

"Yes, he has," Carol Morgan confirmed with a nod. "I figured he’d stop on his own once he got tired."

"Just now, I heard Thunderbolt say..." Renee Jennings repeated what the lion had been wailing about. "He’s actually crying."

Carol Morgan’s face was a mask of astonishment. "Thunderbolt is crying?"

"Yes." Renee Jennings frowned, her fair face etched with confusion. "I don’t know what he’s been through or who he’s talking about."

Carol Morgan couldn’t understand why Thunderbolt would be saying such things either. "He seemed perfectly fine yesterday."

He pulled out his phone and called a Breeder over to ask about the situation, only to learn that Thunderbolt hadn’t even eaten his breakfast.

"I was planning to wait and see if he’d eat his lunch. If he didn’t, I was going to file a report," the Breeder explained hastily, afraid he’d be blamed.

"Was everything normal yesterday?" Renee Jennings asked.

The Breeder nodded immediately. "Yes, he finished all of his dinner last night."

"So something unacceptable happened to Thunderbolt in the middle of the night?" Renee Jennings analyzed.

Carol Morgan watched the distant Thunderbolt with concern. "He’s usually very enthusiastic, always interacting with the visitors. Hiding away like this today is definitely not right."

"Is there a safari vehicle available?" Renee Jennings asked. "I want to go in and talk to him."

She wasn’t familiar with lions. For a first-time conversation, it would be safer to go in with a vehicle.

"We have one," Carol Morgan said, looking to Faye Wyatt. "Should I arrange it now?"

Faye Wyatt: "Yes, arrange it. Consultant Jennings and I will go in together."

After Carol Morgan left, Faye Wyatt gratefully took Renee Jennings’s hand. "Your timing is perfect."

"I didn’t have anything to do today, so I just thought I’d come see the tigers." Renee Jennings felt a little flustered as she felt the woman’s smooth palm in her own.

Faye Wyatt was all smiles. "They’ll definitely be thrilled to see you."

Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow slightly. "I’m happy too."

"Come on, let’s head to the safari vehicle entrance," Faye Wyatt said, affectionately pulling her by the hand.

At first, Renee Jennings was a little nervous being led by the hand by the beautiful woman, but as she gradually got used to it, her fingers even tightened slightly in return.

The three of them entered the Lion Park in the safari vehicle. Seeing this, the tourists in the viewing area started clamoring at the staff.

"Didn’t you say there were no safari vehicles this week? Then what’s that?"

"I want to ride the safari vehicle too!"

"Where’s the line for the safari vehicle?"

A staff member hurriedly explained, "Please, everyone, calm down. That’s the animal consultant going in to communicate with the lions."

"The animal consultant? Is that the girl who dared to ride a tiger?"

"She’s brave enough to ride a tiger, so why does she need a safari vehicle to go into the Lion Park?"

"I heard there’s a female streamer online who can talk to animals, too. I wonder if she can talk to lions and tigers?"

"..."

While the tourists in the viewing area chattered noisily, Renee Jennings had already arrived near Thunderbolt in the safari vehicle. The lion’s roars continued, clear yet tinged with a world-weary listlessness.

"No lion cares about a sad lion... BOOHOO..."

"This world is a giant sham..."

"I might as well be dead..."

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