[[Not to mention that snow leopard bones could substitute tiger bones and serve various purposes.
“And that smaller one beside it…if we catch it and sell it, plenty of wealthy young ladies would love to keep it as a pet,” one of the human poachers remarked, greed dripping from his tone as he noticed Da Xi, whom Gredo was protecting. The comment enraged Da Xi so much that the fur on his tail bristled.
However, their escape quickly became futile under the relentless pursuit of the poachers armed with advanced technology. The two snow leopards were forced to abandon their familiar den in the snowfield and draw closer to human settlements.
When Gredo, in a desperate attempt to divert the poachers and create a final chance for Da Xi to survive, was shot and collapsed into a cage on the brink of death, Da Xi spotted teachers from his school searching for him nearby and cried in relief!
It turned out that Da Xi’s disappearance had been reported repeatedly, escalating into a nationwide concern. The school and the Federation government had swiftly organized rescue efforts to find the missing student.
Da Xi’s faint whimpers soon caught the attention of the search team, leading them to uncover the brutal poaching operation.
When the exhausted Da Xi woke up again, he found himself back in human form, surrounded by doctors, teachers, and classmates in a tent hospital bed.
“Da Xi, how are you feeling? It’s a miracle that you were unconscious in the snow for so long and survived!”
While everyone expressed relief and concern, Da Xi immediately inquired about the snow leopard captured by the poachers.
He then learned that the poachers had been apprehended by government forces, and Gredo had bitten through the tent and disappeared the day after receiving treatment.
“…So, Gredo’s gone?”
Of course, Da Xi thought. Gredo hated humans.
Though Da Xi felt an ache in his heart, he had no choice but to prepare for the return journey. After recovering for a few days, he joined most of the group boarding the starship to leave this wasteland planet.
The time he spent as a snow leopard now seemed like a dream.
However, as Da Xi deliberately lingered and became the last to board, a commotion broke out among the crowd on the starship.
“Da Xi, watch out! It’s a snow leopard!”
Da Xi spun around abruptly and saw Gredo!
In its mouth, the snow leopard carried the mirror it had played with most often, tossing it toward him.
“Gredo…do you want to come home with me?”
Holding the mirror, Da Xi shouted desperately after Gredo, who was bounding away.
“I’ll take good care of you. You’ll never be hurt or hungry again!”
But Gredo, having returned the mirror, only gave Da Xi a deep, lingering look before slowly turning away. He vanished into the boundless snowy wasteland, once again choosing to reign as the lone king of the Tian Mountains on this harsh wasteland.
[“King of the Tian Mountains-Snow Leopard” The End]
“…”
When Teacher Mu finished the story in one breath, he sat in silence for a long time, unable to recover.
Gradually, other teachers returned to the office after class and noticed Teacher Mu’s dazed expression.
“Teacher Mu? Teacher Mu! Why are your eyes red? What happened?”
Surprised, they glanced at the magazine in Teacher Mu’s hands: “Star Beast World”.
Wasn’t this a popular science magazine that the school subscribes to?
As a widely recognized and cherished publication, many in the Federation had grown up reading “Star Beast World” in school libraries.
Therefore, “Star Beast World” was well-deservedly the childhood memory of many people in the Federation.
However, as the original readership grew older, although the magazine was still in publication, its circulation gradually declined. After all, children nowadays have more novel toys and games, so magazines that require patience to read have undoubtedly become somewhat insignificant.
On the contrary, collective subscriptions from schools, governments and other official institutions gradually became the largest sales channel supporting “Star Beast World” magazine.
“No, nothing happened. It’s just… the article in this issue of “Star Beast World”…is really moving…”
Teacher Mu reacted and immediately looked up at his colleagues. He rubbed his eyes in embarrassment and recommended the article to his colleagues.
“I’m not joking. It’s really an excellent article written from such a unique perspective. I’ve never read an article popularizing the science on star beasts from this angle.”
Sensing their skepticism, Teacher Mu spoke more earnestly. Soon, his colleagues, half believing and half doubting, retrieved copies of the magazine from their classrooms and began reading.
The office grew quiet.
This article of a few thousand words was indeed not long, but it instantly attracted everyone’s full attention.
“Why do you think Gredo didn’t follow Da Xi back in the end? It’s obvious Gredo cared about Da Xi so much…”
After a long silence, one teacher’s melancholic question broke the quiet, stirring everyone from their trance.
Indeed, after reading “King of the Tian Mountains-Snow Leopard”, most of them were struck by Gredo’s final decision to leave Da Xi and return to the snowfields.
He liked Da Xi so much that he taught him all the common sense and skills of being a snow leopard. He even sacrificed himself to lure away the poachers for Da Xi at the last moment.
And given the relative comfort and safety of the Central Star compared to the harsh conditions of the plateau, why had Gredo left so resolutely in the end?
“Damn it, who is this cruel writer? How could he write such a heart-wrenching story? The previous interactions were so heartwarming that they melted my heart!”
Especially the earlier parts of “King of the Tian Mountains-Snow Leopard”, from the time Da Xi and Gredo first met to the time they gradually became dependent on each other, the portrayal of the daily interactions of these two snow leopards was indeed extremely charming and heartwarming.
It could be said that the story seamlessly blended all kinds of knowledge about snow leopards with heartwarming and interesting interactions perfectly.
Whether it was the bird-like chirping of newborn snow leopard cubs, or the endearing and funny scenes that melted hearts.
Or the fact that a snow leopard’s tail could grow as long as its body, so large and fluffy that Gredo could use it to shield Da Xi from the wind and snow.
Da Xi often bit onto Gredo’s tail, following closely behind him as they playfully chased each other…
Every scene lifted the readers’ spirits, as though they were witnessing the two snow leopards in the snowy Tian Mountains, sharing warmth amidst the cruelty of nature.
Even the cunning wolf packs, the ever-watching rival and cheetah, Ban, all seemed to exude a primal, untamed essence orchestrated by nature.
Even these “villainous” characters did not evoke hatred.
“I felt really sad when Ban was killed by poachers at the end!”
A teacher blurted out indignantly, immediately receiving unanimous agreement from everyone present.
Every animal character in this story, regardless of their role or allegiance, managed to avoid evoking true dislike.
In a way, all of them were merely striving to ensure the survival of their species and their lives.
Only the human poachers were unquestionably the ultimate villains, leaving readers seething with hatred after finishing the story.
However, the story cleverly ended on a politically correct note. The Federation government’s team apprehended the poachers in one fell swoop. This not only brought a sense of satisfaction but also revealed the author’s meticulous thoughtfulness.
“This article is simply a perfect recommendation to children. I’m certain they would be equally captivated after reading it.”
“So, who exactly is the author? Teacher Mu, why aren’t you saying anything?”
“The author is…”A Sleeping Fish”? Also known as… ‘A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles’?!”
When Teacher Mu stammered out the author’s name from the bio beside the article, the entire room fell silent.
After all, as language and literature teachers, they were all too familiar with “A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles” recently.
“I’ve confiscated an entire drawer’s worth of “Rebirth of the Interstellar Soldier King” by this person! And now you’re telling me this article was written by the same ‘Fish Soup Noodles’!?”
One teacher nearly spilled his water.
“Rebirth of the Interstellar Soldier King” has been wildly popular recently. As teachers, they didn’t outright oppose students reading the novel. It was, after all, quite passionate and motivating.
However, many little ones are so addicted to the book that they secretly flip through a few pages during class. It was not so bad in lower grades, but many higher grades simply couldn’t put it down.
They even recited the protagonist Lin Mu’s moves and lines at every opportunity!
And the female students? They were even more incredible. Some even secretly bought “Contract Marriage” and “Eternal Night Rose” and secretly circulated them around.
This left the teachers battling wits with the elusive “A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles” to keep students focused on their studies.
And after confiscating the books, the teachers themselves couldn’t resist taking a peek…only to find them surprisingly engaging.
“But the themes of these articles are so drastically different! Is it really possible for one person to write them all?”
The same scene happened in countless corners of the Federation Star almost as soon as this issue of “Star Beast World” was released.
And the story of Da Xi and Gredo, the two snow leopards in “The King of the Tian Mountains-Snow Leopard”, spread like wildfire among several staff at different institutions at an unimaginable speed.
