Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness-Chapter 586 - 583: Reserve a Spot

Cicadas called desperately, the world outside was full of blinding sunlight, and the shadows of the eaves fell on the ground as sharply as knives.

Gang Tianwu stood by the window and tugged at his collar; the air conditioning repairman had not arrived yet. In just about ten minutes, he was already feeling unbearably hot, his saliva as sticky as glue in his throat, the office stuffy as if it was the steamer where demons cooked the fat monk in "Journey to the West."

There was a knock at the door, and a team member stood at the entrance and said, "Team Leader Gang Tianwu, someone wishes to see you."

"Who?"

"Chief Matsumoto Kiyonaga from Taiji Town."

"Do I know him?"

"The day before yesterday, Chief Matsumoto asked us for hunter information for the hunting season."

"Oh!"

As soon as the team member mentioned it, Gang Tianwu recalled some memories, quickly walked back to his seat, tidied up the desk in the office, then wiped his sweat and nodded, "Please invite Chief Matsumoto in."

A moment later, Gang Tianwu stood up to welcome him, "Ah, Chief Matsumoto graces us with your presence; why didn’t you say something in advance? How was it, did you look over the data from last time? Any issues? Nagano, pour a cup of tea for Chief Matsumoto."

Matsumoto had rushed over all the way from the subway station without a moment to rest, heading straight for Gang Tianwu’s place without even time for a drink, his whole body covered in sweat. He thanked Nagano with a nod, gulped down a whole cup of water, then finally got his breath back, "Sorry Team Leader Gang, I’ll skip the formalities.

There were no issues with the data, but how much do you know about Bertrand?"

"Oh, the hunter ranked number two? Do you remember him?"

"I do." Gang Tianwu nodded. He had confirmed the final participant list himself, so of course he remembered, especially the second-ranked one, almost reciting it by heart.

"Bertrand Guy, born in Ugly Country Minnesota State, has held a Professional Hunter’s license for over thirty years. Joined the military in his youth and performed excellently. After ten years, he retired, was a truck driver, hunter, archer, actor, singer, sailor, engineer, farmer, and has hunted down a total of over fifteen Black Bears and Brown Bears, a rather impressive resume."

Bertrand’s career was extremely diversified, with such a wide range that it even made one suspect it was fabricated. This man in his fifties had an extraordinarily rich life experience.

He quickly caught the attention of the reviewers after registration and was added to the list. Gang Tianwu also agreed quite readily when he saw it.

Taking into account Matsumoto’s previous actions and his hasty visit, it certainly wouldn’t be without a reason. Gang Tianwu pondered for a while, "Is there a problem with him?"

"I can’t be certain, but there’s a high probability." Chief Matsumoto Kiyonaga did not dare to be too definitive. He counter-questioned Gang Tianwu, "Do you know about Tiangella?"

"Tiangella? What’s that?" Gang Tianwu was puzzled.

Chief Matsumoto Kiyonaga breathed a sigh of relief, as expected, even the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department didn’t know about it. He explained with a slight sense of pride, "It’s a transnational company…"

Just then, Nagano brought a second cup of water. Chief Matsumoto Kiyonaga accepted it with a smile, this time not drinking it all in one go but holding it in his hand and sipping it gradually.

Without utilization, there is no conservation.

That was Tiangella’s company motto, as well as their longstanding public statement.

From this point of view, it was almost identical to what Ben had said in an interview program six months ago.

Commercial hunting is conserving wildlife.

This was a point that Bi Fang had elaborated on briefly, behind which was a systemic relationship chain.

Chief Matsumoto Kiyonaga took out his phone, opened a certain video, and showed it to Gang Tianwu for him to watch.

In the Old Stone Age, when the species of humans had just emerged, agriculture had not yet appeared. As an omnivorous species at the top of the food chain, humans relied on a combination of hunting and gathering for survival and development and were, like other dominant species at the apex of the food chain, simply a part of Nature.

During the process of hunting, the intelligent humans invented spears and bows and arrows, which led to the emergence of collaborative group living—an important foundation for modern civilization.

At this juncture, humans completely became the overlord of Nature, with a very direct food chain relationship with wild animals.

The upper-tier species depended on preying upon those below for survival and propagation.

In the Old Stone Age, humans absolutely lacked the concept of wildlife conservation.

However, through repeated trial and error, humans instinctively learned not to overhunt or overgather.

First, because there were no good storage conditions to preserve excess harvest, and second, because it would create unnecessary difficulties for the next hunt.

There are two most direct pieces of evidence for this point.

First, the domesticated species we see today, such as pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep, came into being during the Old Stone Age; the process of domestication was a way of "protecting" animals.

Livestock such as pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep have become the most numerous mammals in the world, largely because their value made humans willing to keep them.

Second, studies of still-existing Old Stone Age tribal civilizations have found that they consciously protect the population health and breeding continuity of the species within their habitat.

This awareness of not overexploiting is the germ of the concept of animal protection, a practice that creates conditions for better sustainable use in the future.

"If one follows the proper agricultural seasons, the harvest of grain will be more than one can eat; if one does not overfish with nets, the fish and turtles will be more than one can eat; if one cuts timber only at the right times, the wood will be more than one can use.

Having more grain and fish than one can eat, and more wood than one can use, ensures that people can live and die without regret."

"Living and dying without regret—the beginning of the Royal Way."

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Mencius stated this principle thousands of years ago.

Subsequent developments brought more complex changes: the pastoral-agricultural model replaced the hunting-gathering model, and humans’ survival no longer depended directly on wild animals. The direct food chain relationship between them began to loosen.

Later on, the advent of metallurgy led to the large-scale use of metal agricultural tools—which fundamentally changed farming efficiency. More and more human groups began to completely break free from direct dependence on wild animals.

Humans definitely became the only species at the very top of the food chain, with no wild animals they couldn’t hunt.

Humans began to focus on the efficiency of obtaining meat; large-scale animal husbandry replaced hunting, and the primary purpose of hunting was no longer just for food.

As the wheels of history kept turning, the 15th to the 17th centuries ushered in the Age of Exploration, which led to the great geographical discoveries and the great exchange of species.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes appeared, and a more efficient pastoral-agricultural model further squeezed out the remaining hunting-gathering model, blurring the bond between humans and nature.

Humans began to separate themselves from wild animals, with humans living in towns and wild animals occupying the jungles. The food chain relationship between the two all but disappeared, and they no longer propagated and thrived in the same area—their territories clearly delineated and non-intersecting.

The wheel of history stops in modern times.

Humans have completely become a species that can only survive and develop by relying on the economic society. With modern agriculture and animal husbandry becoming more and more developed, ordinary people no longer need to utilize wild animals. Thus, their value has fallen again and again, rendering them merely a pursuit of stimulation and aesthetic interest for the wealthy.

Ordinary people might take concrete action over the price increase of pork, but they won’t spare half a thought over what the rich like.

The words in the video abruptly stopped as Gang Tianwu pressed the pause button. He was already being very patient, "What does Chief Matsumoto wish to say?"

Sitting upright and proper, Matsumoto Kiyonaga said, "I would like to ask for your approval to suspend the hunting season, and to permit me to arrest Bertrand Guy!"