Super Zoo-Chapter 716 - 706

Even Nangong Yan could tell that Suming had been off lately.

Sweet nothings and promises of love are an aphrodisiac for women, and for men, ambition, or rather, the motivation and goals for struggle, are what truly stimulate their hormones.

As his bedfellow, Nangong clearly noticed that Suming had been listless recently.

"How about going out to clear your head?" Nangong stroked a lock of hair from her forehead and said, "Could it be that you've been so busy these past six months that you've become numb and that's why you feel aimless? Going out to have fun and relax for a few days might just do the trick. Even as a boss, you need to strike a balance between work and rest."

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"You have a point, I labor during the day and at night too; I'm indeed too tired," Suming said with a laugh, glancing at Nangong lying on his chest.

"Cut it out!" Nangong slapped him playfully on the chest and then looked up to ask, "So, where to?"

In fact, Suming had already been considering taking a trip even before Nangong mentioned it.

The last time they went on a trip was ages ago when all the staff from the zoo went to Xiangjiang. That time, he won more than forty million in horse betting, which, strictly speaking, was Suming's real first pot of gold.

A horse doesn't get fat without night grazing, and the same goes for humans. If he had relied solely on his boat tour and fish farming business, it would have been an eternity before he could make that forty million, and the following series of major investments would never have happened.

If the Xiangjiang Jockey Club hadn't been so petty as to ask Long Wu to 'intervene', maybe he could have won even more that time. It was also then that he met Long Wu.

"This time, how about going to Xiangjiang again, sound good?" Suming asked with a grin.

"Ah? Again? More horse betting?!" Nangong was quite astute and immediately saw through Suming's real intentions.

"Money from gambling is money not to be refused if it's there for the taking," Suming laughed.

Xiangjiang is a great tourist destination with lots to do; last time they barely skimmed the surface, seeing only a few sights in haste and then getting swept up in a series of unexpected events. There's actually a lot more to do there; given enough time, you could stay in Xiangjiang for ten days to half a month and have new experiences every day.

Of course, horse betting was an essential part. The release of "Legend of the Gods" in Southeast Asia received unexpectedly positive reviews, a completely different level of success compared to the mainland region. Huaxia Star initially borrowed the zoo's animals, and after that, a string of suggestions proved very helpful. Suming guessed that even if Long Wu and the Horse Club were close, it was unlikely Long Wu would intervene again to 'discourage' him this time.

Certainly, winning too much wasn't good either. If Long Wu didn't step in, the Horse Club would find someone else. Such regional betting organizations with government backgrounds would never allow a few highly skilled gamblers to treat them like unlimited cash machines, so keeping the winnings in the tens of millions range was about right, not too much, not too little, just enough for some pocket money.

The trip to Xiangjiang was, in fact, already in Suming's plans. Next month, Xiangjiang would host a series of Longines Cup international horse racing events, four in total, with a combined prize money of one hundred million Hong Kong dollars. After purchasing the racehorses Lion Castle Dragon and Big Happy, jockey Tony had already signed up for the competition, and for the past six months he had been training rigorously in a specially designated area of the zoo.

Participating in such international competitions wasn't necessarily about making money. The four Longines Cup events, with prize money close to one hundred million, meant the total prize money; even for two strong horses, it wasn't possible to sweep all the prizes. The champion of a single event only offered a prize in the tens of millions, and as their owner, he could expect to take home about seventy to eighty percent of that.

Moreover, although the two horses were quite characterful and made quite a statement when ridden, in terms of competitive ability, they were not top-notch. In past events, at best, they were always near the bottom of the second tier. It would be an unexpected joy and sheer luck if they managed to make it to the finals of any event.

Even with the help of Animal Friends, the physical and intellectual improvements alone wouldn't necessarily guarantee good results. It's like a person suddenly taking steroids, increasing their strength several fold, but not necessarily winning a medal in Olympic weightlifting. In professional sports competitions, physical ability is just a basic quality; high skills and understanding of the rules are also needed.

Taking part in the competition was a way for him to relax and for the horses to gain experience, since they were racehorses and the racetrack was the place they could really show off their talents.

It is said that such international horse-racing events will see the attendance of many real high-profile figures from around the world, like last year when Li Jiacheng personally showed up. Suming also wanted to see something new.

Unexpectedly, Nangong no longer wanted to go.

Suming had been to Xiangjiang only a few times, whereas Nangong was quite the opposite. Apart from the time she went with Suming, she had visited Xiangjiang along with Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand countless times ever since she was little, especially during holidays. She had played there so much that she had grown tired of it and was lazy to make the trip again.

"Suit yourself. Stay at the zoo and house-sit for me," Suming said with a shrug.

Nangong Yan suddenly became very serious and said, "When you're away from home, don't do anything illegal or get into trouble."

"Huh?" Suming was stunned. What did she mean by bringing this up all of a sudden?

Nangong Yan coyly fluttered her eyelashes, "Because there are police in Xiangjiang, female police!"

Suming scoffed, "Your joke is so cold, not funny at all."

…

He decided to leave and the next morning booked a flight to Xiangjiang for the following day. This time, Suming didn't plan to bring anyone and set off on his own.

Not even a bird. Haidong Qing, his usual travel companion, had become increasingly wild since it stopped living in a cage, often disappearing on flights for weeks at a time. Once, it was gone for over a month and just when Suming thought it might have been killed, it reappeared, dusty and travel-worn.

It seemed to have flown to Changbai Mountain and hung around the mountains for a few days, making the acquaintance of quite a few female birds.

These past few days, it wasn't on the back mountain again, so Suming simply excluded it from his plans. He took a walk around his zoo in the mountains and gathered enough Phantom Energy Storage Spheres.

Oh, it's not that he wasn't bringing anyone at all. Tony and the two horses were set to go with him to compete, but they would leave earlier. Tony, with the two horses, would head to the Xiangjiang Jockey Club first to report and undergo a series of checks. They had to stay at the racecourse for a few days beforehand to let the horses get used to the environment.

He hadn't seen the horses for some time, and while they looked the same, their spirit had changed dramatically. Before, when Suming rode them, they were always lethargic, but after being intensely trained by Tony, they were now spirited and ambitious, and even their eyes were filled with an inspiring vigor.

"That's more like it, the spirit of the dragon horse," Suming patted the horses, "Do well, and if you manage to rank, you both will become famous. After that, countless mares will come knocking for breeding."

"Yes! That's exactly what I think," Tony nodded earnestly. "A horse that has placed in an international competition will sky-rocket in value. Just the breeding fees alone would bring in a significant income."

Suming said, "So it's like being in the national team, enduring the same grueling training, and those who win a medal at the Olympics can gain fame and fortune and get the girl, while those who don't meddle will silently fade away, their injuries and pains neglected upon retirement?"

"Boss, it's not good to say it like that," Tony said earnestly.

After sending Tony off, Suming slept through the night. Early the next day, he packed two bank cards and was about to head to the airport, but something happened before he even reached the zoo's main gate.