Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Yu He's mind swayed slightly; indeed, loving Fu Yunzheng required great courage.

He was afraid that Fu Yunzheng would move too fast for him to catch up, and also afraid that others would think they were mismatched. If he couldn’t stand on another mountain’s peak, others would only think Fu Yunzheng liked him because of his good looks.

Yu He couldn’t help but curve his lips, seizing the opportunity to make a request to Fu Yunzheng, "Then you have to treat me even better."

Fu Yunzheng replied, "Definitely."

On the evening the Biodiversity Research Forum concluded, Fu Yunzheng unsurprisingly set a new record for the highest donation of the day.

In addition, Yu He also made a separate donation to the Pangolin Rescue Association in northern Myanmar.

The rescue association's staff member, named Patin, was the only one in the group who could speak Chinese. Even though his proficiency wasn’t very high, he expressed his gratitude to Yu He sincerely.

Patton showed the photos on his phone to Yu He, saying, "Back in the day, the conditions at the rescue center were harsh, and the management was not quite up to par. Some pangolins died after being rescued due to inadequate medical treatment. Mr. Fu later donated a significant amount of money to us for new equipment. The new building we have now was built with Mr. Fu's donation."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunzhe looked at Patton and asked, "Which rescue center are you from?"

Patton replied, "We are now all under the unified management of the Puyang Rescue Association. The center used to be called Gonggan Rescue Center."

Fu Yunzhe nodded, "I have been to Gonggan."

Patton pressed his hands together, placed them before his mouth and nose, and slightly bowed to Fu Yunzhe, apologizing, "Mr. Fu, I am truly sorry. The illegal hunting and smuggling of wild animals along the border of Northern Myanmar was indeed rampant back then. Over the years, our government has been continuously taking corrective measures, which have shown great results. We warmly welcome you to conduct a thorough inspection and provide your guidance."

People in Northern Myanmar do not have the habit of consuming pangolins. The smuggling of pangolins between China and Northern Myanmar mostly ends up in China.

Pangolin scales are famous and valuable in traditional Chinese medicine. Although the latest edition of the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" did not continue to include pangolins, many people still believe in the miraculous effects of pangolins in clearing and unblocking meridians due to their ability to burrow through mountains and tunnels.

As a student of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yu He holds reservations about this.

There are so many methods to unblock meridians; acupuncture and massage directly act on the meridians. Even if pangolin scales do have some medicinal value, there are countless alternatives in today’s technologically advanced era.

After all, donating more money to establish rescue centers is just a remedy for the situation. Even the most stringent measures can only deter poachers but cannot eliminate people's desire to purchase and their curiosity.

As long as the trade chain exists, pangolins will never be completely safe.

The results of intensified management efforts in Northern Myanmar are apparent, and pangolins are rarely seen in confiscated smuggled goods in our country now.

Yu He said, "Pangolins have unique physiological habits and a specialized diet different from other animals. What difficulties are you facing in terms of captive breeding? I may not be able to solve technical issues, but if you need any equipment to maintain constant temperature and humidity, this is within my... and Mr. Fu’s capabilities."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunzhe looked at Yu He with a smile.

Yu He is very sensitive to this kind of thing. He nudged Fu Yunzhe’s lower back, signaling Fu Yunzhe not to laugh ambiguously and disturb his mental state.

Fu Yunzhe placed one hand behind his back, holding onto Yu He’s paw.

The fur Yu He had bristled was smoothed down in an instant.

As the saying goes, experts look at the details while laymen enjoy the show. When Patton heard Yu He talking so knowledgeably about pangolins’ unique physiological habits and diet, he knew that Yu He was different from those who donated money for fame.

Patton introduced more enthusiastically, “Our longest-surviving pangolin at the base has lived for more than 400 days. In terms of pangolin rescue and breeding, our association has an absolute advantage. Last year, we even established a pangolin breeding facility deep in Puyang.”

The artificial breeding and cultivation of pangolins is a global challenge.

In China, the Chinese pangolin is an extremely endangered species, with numbers even lower than that of the giant panda. There are also several official institutions in the country that are advancing breeding bases in the form of scientific research breeding. Last year, a third-generation Malayan pangolin was successfully bred, a global first.

Given the immense difficulties associated with pangolin breeding in captivity, how is it that Myanmar’s northern region, which lacked even basic rescue facilities a few years ago, has managed to establish a pangolin breeding center?

Fu Yunzhang couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this. His good manners prevented him from directly asking a potentially offensive question like, "Have your techniques really reached the standard required for captive breeding?"

All Fu Yunzhang said was, “Very well, I will certainly pay a visit to Pushan if I have the chance.”

On the last day of the banquet, the head of the Myanmar Pushan Pangolin Rescue Association made a special trip to express their gratitude to Yu He.

"There are so many endangered animals in East Asia. Although we manage to raise a substantial amount in donations every year, the share that actually goes to the Pangolin Conservation Association is quite small. Pangolins just don’t attract as much attention as pandas or tigers."

Speaking in English, the head said, "Mr. Yu, your donation can cover our center’s expenses for half a year. We have reported your kind act to the East Asia Regional Animal Green Development Association. The association has decided to award you the Green Defender Medal, and our center has been authorized to present it to you. You are welcome to come to Pushan to receive your award."

The Green Defender Medal?

Yu He glanced at Fu Yunzhang, who quietly explained in Chinese, "It’s an honorary medal. They issue it when a donation reaches a certain amount."

Yu He quietly asked, “Should we go to receive it?”

Fu Yunzhang replied, “It’s up to you. If you want to go, I’ll accompany you. Myanmar’s northern region is not very safe, so we need to make some arrangements, but it won’t be troublesome.”

Yu He was somewhat eager to go. He had never seen a pangolin before. These animals are so difficult to breed that they are not even found in zoos. Besides, he had always been fascinated by the idea of visiting places that Fu Yunzhang had been to and participating in the rescue of wild animals himself. Perhaps he could even try treating a pangolin with acupuncture.

After successfully treating a small wild cat’s front paw with his unique acupuncture technique, Yu He was even more convinced that acupuncture could be applied to any mammal.

Observing Yu He’s reactions, Fu Yunzhang knew he wanted to go and said, “Then let’s go. Pangolins curl up into a ball and hide their heads when they sense danger, just like how you cover your head with a blanket when you know you're in the wrong. Maybe you could become good friends.”

Yu He immediately bristled, “That’s very kind of you to say! Pangolins are a Class-I protected species in our country. You’re really elevating my status by comparing me to them!”

Fu Yunzhang laughed, “Cranes are also a Class-I protected species.”

Yu He: “......”

*

Three days later, in northern Myanmar.

Looking at the brown pangolin in front of him, Yu He had to admit that Fu Yunzhang’s description was quite apt.

Indeed, when sensing danger, a pangolin would really curl up into a ball.

Within the rescue base, a staff member released a pangolin from its cage and said to Yu He, "This pangolin has fully recovered from its wounds and has passed all the necessary checks for release. You're welcome to join us in returning it to the mountains and forests."

The rescue base's environment surpassed Yu He's expectations; not only was it clean, but the walls were adorned with macaroon-colored animal illustrations and Burmese scientific knowledge. It felt more like a private pet hospital than a rescue center.

The cage was equipped with branches and green grass, and the water in the bowl was crystal clear. Each pangolin had a unique identifier and an electronic file to match.

The scene before them was a stark contrast to the filthy conditions of the rescue centers of years past, leaving even Fu Yunzhen unable to find any areas in need of improvement.

As donors, both Fu Yunzhen and Yu He were pleased to see such a clean and well-maintained environment.

The deputy head of the association brought his hands together in a gesture of gratitude, spoke a few words in Burmese to Fu Yunzhen, and handed a folder to Patin.

"Please let us know if there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, we will make it our top priority to address it," Patin translated as he handed the folder to Fu Yunzhen. "Here is our financial report for this year, please take a look."

Fu Yunzhen responded, "There’s no need to check; the environment here has improved significantly since the reconstruction. I am very satisfied."

Patin added, "After the reconstruction, we changed our head of operations. Our current staff have all undergone professional training. We have two veterinarians on site, and even a doctor of zoology who specializes in pangolins."

Last quarter, this rescue center saved more than ten pangolins, achieving a survival rate of up to 80%. Given that pangolins have weak liver detoxification functions and fragile immune systems, achieving an 80% survival rate through human intervention is quite an impressive feat.

According to the rescue records, this curled-up pangolin, numbered 2609A2, was found in a villager's vegetable garden last month, with its abdomen tightly wound by wire, causing the scales to darken and infection underneath.

Looking at the curled-up pangolin on the ground, Yu He asked in confusion, "Does it always curl up like this? Must make the rescue work quite challenging, right?"

Patin picked up the pangolin and responded, "Indeed, it took us a lot of effort to cut the wire. When they curl up like this, it’s incredibly hard to pry them open with human strength alone. We had to continually adjust our approach with wire cutters, spending a total of two hours – quite a troublesome little creature."

Although Patin mentioned the trouble, his eyes sparkled with affection as he looked at the pangolin, much like a parent watching their child.

Pangolins have severely degenerated vision but a keen sense of smell. It seemed to recognize Patin's familiar scent and slowly began to relax, revealing its true form.

This was Yu He’s first time seeing a pangolin up close. Observing its tiny, bean-sized eyes, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Its eyes are so small."

Just then, another staff member brought over a long glass jar filled with termites. The jar’s interior mimicked an ant nest with intricate tunnels, and a one-way opening at the top measuring half a centimeter in length, made from latex to facilitate easy access for the pangolin’s tongue.

Patin turned to Yu He, “A pangolin can eat up to 500 grams of termites in one meal. We’ll give it a hearty feast before releasing it back into the mountains. Would you like to feed it?”

Yu He shook his head, showing no interest in the ant-filled glass jar.

As soon as the jar was opened, the pangolin picked up the scent of its food and slowly made its way toward it.

Patin reminded him, “Its tongue is very long.”

As soon as the words were out, Yu He saw a long pink tongue swiftly extend from the pangolin's mouth, accurately probing into the glass jar.

The pangolin had always seemed sluggish to Yu He, but its tongue darted out quickly to feed. The mucus secreted on the tongue helped it latch onto more termites, and in no time, the densely packed glass jar was almost empty.

After the jar was emptied, one could clearly see that in addition to the termites, there were also tiny clumps of soil and pebbles inside. These, consumed along with the termites, would help the pangolin grind down its food.

Patin placed the satiated pangolin back into its metal cage, readying it for the journey on the vehicle.

Yu He and Fu Yunzhe, on the other hand, got into another car, with bodyguards sitting both in the driver’s seat and next to it. Another car followed closely behind, specifically tasked with protecting Yu He and Fu Yunzhe.

"It's been a long time since I've experienced this kind of entourage," Yu He said from the backseat, turning to Fu Yunzhe, "Is Northern Myanmar still this chaotic?"

Fu Yunzhe replied, “After all, we are not in our own country, and the Fu family rarely does business in Southeast Asia.”

Leaning back in his seat, Yu He asked, "Why is that?"

Fu Yunzhe explained, “There are too many countries here, and the personnel are mixed. Once you get involved, it’s hard to extricate yourself. Since my father’s generation, we have been gradually withdrawing investments to avoid getting entangled.”

"Indeed, I've even received scam calls from here." Yu He mimicked the peculiar accent from the calls, "Your son is in my hands."

Fu Yunzhe couldn't help but chuckle, “Since when do you have a son? Why don’t I know about this?”

Without missing a beat, Yu He quipped, “Of course you wouldn’t know. I told them to hurry up and do what they need to do, and not to let my sugar daddy find out, lest it affects my business.”