Qin Qing’s tone was low, and it was clear he wasn’t in a good mood. This made Shen Yibin even more worried, and he listened on edge, afraid he was about to hear some bad news.

"...The Yunzhong City Government just held an emergency meeting to discuss the sensation these photos have created online," Qin Qing continued.

"Uh, Secretary Qin, I haven’t kept a single cent of these donations! The bank account I listed is the zoo’s, and I’ve transferred all the tips from Weibo over to it as well." ’They can’t possibly suspect me of profiting from this, can they? I’m not that kind of person!’ Shen Yibin quickly pulled up his transaction records to show Secretary Qin.

"Mr. Shen, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not accusing you, and the Yunzhong City Government has never suspected you of anything," Qin Qing hastily explained. "We were discussing a different matter. You see, technically, the zoo’s maintenance and management should be our responsibility. However, the city’s funds are tight right now, so we are temporarily unable to address these issues. It’s thanks to a concerned citizen like you that we’ve been able to solve this huge problem."

Qin Qing paused before continuing, "Normally, this would be a good thing, but we’ve also noticed some people online are trying to use this incident to attack the government." He was referring to comments like: *Damn it, you’re all so busy being corrupt that you can’t even scrape together the money to fix a zoo? Isn’t managing the zoo your responsibility? Why are donations needed now?*

"Those are indeed our responsibilities, but Mr. Shen, I’m sure you understand that there are just too many demands on our budget right now," Qin Qing said, holding up his hands. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

That was true. Since opening his own shop, Shen Yibin had gained a better understanding of budgets. There was only so much money to go around, and it had to be prioritized for the most urgent needs. The zoo, he feared, couldn’t compete with building schools or repairing roads. "So, you mean...?"

"Mayor Wang has decided to make a donation as well... Of course, due to budget constraints, the amount won’t be very large, but it’s a token of the Yunzhong City Government’s goodwill. We hope that you, Mr. Shen, can use your and Hah’Er’s Weibo accounts to publicize this for us. It would help us counteract the negative sentiment. You could call it a bit of crisis management," Qin Qing finished, looking at Shen Yibin.

"No problem. I can certainly do that." Shen Yibin had a good impression of Mayor Wang and Qin Qing. Besides, it wasn’t a bad thing, so he agreed.

And so, the matter was settled. The Yunzhong City Government wanted to use this opportunity to dispel public doubt while also contributing a little to the zoo. Seeing that the issue was resolved, Qin Qing breathed a small sigh of relief. "Great. I’ll deliver a check to the zoo tomorrow, take a few pictures, and send them to you. I’ll have to trouble you to post them on Weibo then."

After they had sorted out the details, Qin Qing took his leave. Just then, Sylvie and Sakai Kaori returned home with Egg. They chatted for a few moments before everyone retired to their rooms for the night.

Early the next morning, Qin Qing sent over the photos. Dong also confirmed that he had received the money. Shen Yibin discussed it with Xu Ye, and they decided to post the news after releasing the fifth set of photos.

Around lunchtime, a photo of Hah’Er holding a welding torch to repair the fence of Xiong Mountain was posted on Weibo, once again setting off a firestorm of comments. "Whoa, this panda is insane! It knows how to weld?"

"Hey, I’m protesting this one! Welding is dangerous. How can you let Hah’Er do that?"

"It’s photoshopped. The sparks and the welding arc are obviously special effects. They weren’t using it for real during the shoot. Besides, look at that welding torch—it’s just a prop. It probably couldn’t even make a spark. Everyone can relax." An expert immediately chimed in to explain.

"Damn, welding is a skilled trade! Hah’Er can even do that? That’s a job that pays over ten thousand a month, easy. He’s doing better than me! I’m so jealous."

"Everyone just chill. This panda can make millions a year just by being cute, and he’s still out here ’working.’ What excuse do the rest of you have for not trying harder? Ah well, enough talk. Back to the grind for me."

Just like the previous photos, this one was also a huge success. Hah’Er’s Weibo account gained a ton of new followers, and the donation amount continued to climb.

"It’s about time. You can post the photos of the Yunzhong City Government’s donation now," Xu Ye messaged him.

"Got it." Shen Yibin’s fingers flew as he uploaded the photos from Qin Qing to Weibo. He added a caption explaining that it was proof of the Yunzhong City Government’s donation to the zoo.

"What took you so long? If you guys hadn’t been so negligent, would Hah’Er have needed to work this hard?" one person complained.

However, most comments were supportive of the Yunzhong City Government’s action. "You can’t really put it that way. The government’s annual budget is limited, and renovating the zoo just can’t be a top priority. Sure, the animals need funding, but building schools and roads is more urgent. I’m from Yunzhong, and Yunzhong City has been developing pretty well these past few years..." ’Hmm, is this guy a genuinely passionate netizen or someone Qin Qing hired?’ Shen Yibin wondered. In any case, judging by the data and accomplishments he listed, he did a good job of clearing the Yunzhong City Government of much of the blame.

The vast majority of netizens were quite reasonable. Once they calmed down, they figured that while the zoo’s long-term disrepair was regrettable, circumstances were what they were. You couldn’t ask for too much. And now that the government had made a timely gesture, they were willing to forgive them for the time being.

Thus, a potential PR storm was nipped in the bud. Both Shen Yibin and Qin Qing, who had been monitoring the situation from his office, breathed a sigh of relief.

At dinnertime, Shen Yibin released the sixth set of photos. In this series, Hah’Er was hard at work with a handsaw, cutting wood in front of the peacock enclosure’s dilapidated fence.

This set of photos also drew countless views, comments, shares, and likes. Just as Shen Yibin was feeling pleased, he got a call from Dong. "Mr. Shen, sorry to bother you. A lot of reporters have shown up at the zoo over the past two days. They all want to interview you and Hah’Er, so I’m calling to get your thoughts on it."

’Harnessing the power of the media could attract even more attention and raise more funds for the zoo, right?’ "Uh, okay. I’ll head over tomorrow. But tell them to direct their questions to me. They shouldn’t bother Hah’Er. Also, there needs to be a limit on how long they can film."

Shen Yibin laid out several conditions, and Dong agreed to every one. After hanging up, Shen Yibin ruffled Hah’Er’s fur. "Come on, Hah’Er. We’re going to the zoo tomorrow to see your cousins." ’I wonder what snacks I should bring for that family of three.’