Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 318 - 238: Choose an Egg_1

Chapter 318: Chapter 238: Choose an Egg_1

The zoo provided the green python with a glass enclosure too, a three-sided transparent house made of extremely sturdy glass.

The other side was styled with wood and stone, adorned with various natural decorations.

Inside there was a small water pool equipped with a cycling purification system, and water continuously flowed out from the crevices of the stones, falling into the pool.

The three transparent sides of the glass enclosure allowed people to see more clearly its movements within.

Of course, one could also clearly see Steve in the water pool at this time.

Considering the impact of the show’s broadcast, Steve was not revealing too much, donning a set of clothes provided by the show’s crew, with the program’s logo printed on shirts and pants.

A couple of cans of a new beverage product from Wu Huan’s company were also placed on a rock behind him. As one of the program’s sponsors, Wu Huan was good at seizing opportunities.

However, both cans were unopened to avoid contaminating the pool, serving merely as a backdrop for advertising.

Apparently familiar with Steve’s scent, the enormous green python didn’t pay much attention to him, instead slowly swimming around the water to get to know this new territory.

Steve, on the other hand, seemed to relish this harmonious coexistence.

Seeing Feng Yi standing still, Steve waved and urged him on with a voice that echoed, "Come on over~~"

Feng Yi’s expression was flat: "No, you enjoy it by yourself!"

When the show’s crew saw Feng Yi really did not want to participate in this segment, but also did not want to miss out on such a newsworthy guest, they approached and asked if he was interested in the next activity.

Feng Yi asked, "What kind of activity?"

The crew member replied mysteriously, "Blind box unboxing."

Feng Yi: ???

Feng Yi: "Blind box?"

"Uh, right, but it’s python-related, so we’re calling it ’python box unboxing.’ It requires the guests to select a ’blind box.’

Feng Yi frowned tightly, "Is it like those online pet blind boxes? You mean the kind where animals are put inside and then a blind box is sent over?"

The crew member was animated: "Of course not! We wouldn’t do such trashy things!"

Seeing Feng Yi’s disdain for so-called pet blind boxes, the crew member quickly explained:

"The ’blind boxes’ I’m talking about are python eggs, and you’d pick one before they hatch. It’s like, for example, if a dog has a litter of puppies, and you pick a puppy without looking at the coat pattern. This process won’t interfere with their normal development and growth, and poses no threat to their life. It just adds a bit of fun."

Listenting to his explanation, Feng Yi roughly understood.

The zoo had not only brought pythons from the research base but had also purchased a batch of python eggs to try incubating them themselves.

With the program crew coming over to film and a well-known herpetologist like Steve participating, the zoo was starting to get some ideas. After discussions between the three parties and consultation with relevant departments, they finalized this activity—

The crew asked the guests to select a python egg and then jointly rear it with the zoo after it hatched.

Nowadays, with strict regulations, private individuals are not allowed to keep pythons, so the snakes would be raised in the zoo, but they would carry the tag of the program’s guest.

Not just anyone could participate in this kind of activity. Experts like Steve and Feng Yi, certified by the Conservation Bureau, were the kind the zoo was willing to collaborate with in this manner.

"Joint rearing?" Feng Yi did show some interest.

"Right, if you’re willing, I can show you the contents of the agreement, which is signed by the guests, our program, and the zoo together. The relevant authorities have already issued permits. If you participate, you can sign one too."

"Let me see the agreement."

Feng Yi took the tablet PC handed over by the other person and looked through an electronic document on it.

It seemed okay.

But he didn’t agree immediately.

"So, those little pythons haven’t hatched yet? Can I go see the python eggs first?" Feng Yi asked.

"Hold on, I’ll go and ask."

The man hurried off to consult the director.

The director, upon hearing that Feng Yi was interested, immediately approved: let him see!

The crew member happily led Feng Yi to a different area, "The eggs are in the incubation room, follow me."

There was nothing more for Feng Yi to do here, and it was awkward to stay on. Since he knew there was another activity later, participating might be worthwhile, and it could also help him fulfill the publicity task assigned by the Conservation Bureau.

The incubation room contained various snake eggs, monitored by an employee responsible for their care.

The crew member brought Feng Yi to an incubator.

"The smaller eggs to the side are ball pythons, and the larger ones here are reticulated pythons. We had initially chosen the reticulated pythons, but if you’d prefer the ball pythons, that’s also an option."

"Follow your original plan," Feng Yi said.

Feng Yi looked at the snake eggs arranged in the box.

They were laid out like big white steamed buns.

For wild reticulated pythons, this was not their breeding season, but under artificial breeding conditions, the season could largely be disregarded.

"These are all from artificially bred reticulated pythons, but the zoo doesn’t know exactly what gene lineages these snakes have. The eggs look similar in size, but they do not come from the same clutch," the crew member explained to Feng Yi the origin of these snake eggs.

They were seized by the Conservation Bureau from illegal breeding operations, previously housed at a research facility that had too many eggs. Several zoos were contacted to see if they were willing to take them.

This zoo was one of the capable ones, and the zoo director personally picked a batch of eggs to bring back.

"Although the ones we’ve picked out may not have the same parents, they’re from around the same hatching period, and according to what they’ve said, these are almost ready to hatch," the crew member said.

The hatching room staff, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, "Actually, we had arranged for someone to come and cut the eggs, but after we learned that the crew needed them for filming, we didn’t do it."

Cutting the egg is equivalent to manually helping them break the shell.

In the wild, it’s a survival of the fittest, but under the conditions of captivity, strength isn’t the priority—rather, it’s about improving survival rates, without practicing natural selection.

Feng Yi could tell that the eggs in the box in front of him were from a reticulated python, but not the wild type; they were the result of complex gene-breeding endeavors in captivity.

They were the work of those playing with genetics, trying to achieve more attractive body colors.

No one knew if these individuals with stacked genes had any defects, or if they were frail. Failing to break out of the shell on their own meant death by suffocation.

Generally speaking, such captive-bred genetic lines are far more delicate compared to their wild counterparts.

Therefore, to ensure that more snakes survived, the zoo would assist in breaking the shells by cutting them open.

Worried that Feng Yi might not understand, someone from the crew explained, "You can think of it as a kind of... cesarean delivery, in another sense."

Feng Yi: "..."

The hatching room staff continued, "Because we didn’t cut the eggs, we don’t know if the hatchlings inside developed normally, whether they are strong or weak, or if they will survive. We also don’t know what their body colors are."

Feng Yi nodded and looked at the person from the crew, "So, these are like ’blind boxes’?"

The crew member scratched his head, "Not exactly. I remember the director said to have someone screen them one more time and just pick out five or six."

Feng Yi looked at the snake eggs inside the box.

Snake eggs aren’t perfectly shaped because the shells are soft.

Of the nine snake eggs inside, three had already lost signs of life.

Of the remaining six, half were in quite a precarious state, with very weak life signals.

Repositioning himself so his back faced the camera, Feng Yi extended his hand.

The attentive staff member from the hatching room wanted to say something, but considering Feng Yi’s expert status, he held back.

Feng Yi’s palm hovered over the egg with the weakest life signal.

Invisible active factors transferred from his hand, penetrating into the egg.

These active factors were different from the pheromones he used to intimidate starfish; they were what spilled out during his mutations or molting.

It was also these active factors that made the koi in his home’s landscape pond grow as big as pigs.

Overall, these active factors had some beneficial health effects.

However, Feng Yi’s control over this substance was limited at the moment, and he could release only a small amount. He wanted to see if these active factors could help the embryos with faint life signals survive.

As he withdrew his hand, Feng Yi’s fingers lightly tapped the weakest egg, leaving the remaining active factors for it.

In the eyes of the hatching room staff, Feng Yi’s action merely seemed like a curious touch of the eggshell.

"Let’s go, Steve should be almost done with the filming," Feng Yi said as he left the hatching room.

After he left, the zoo and crew did end up sending someone to re-screen the nine eggs, weeding out the three that had lost life signals.

The remaining six would be chosen by Steve and Feng Yi.

Meanwhile, Steve, having finished a segment of filming, eagerly wanted to share his excitement with Feng Yi.

However, his high spirits quickly waned.

Feng Yi told him about the search for the phone in the neighboring old pavilion.

Steve clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. "They really need to train their staff more. I’ll discuss it with the zoo. They indeed have a lot to improve. I saw it today as well; there are many loopholes in the old pavilion, but the new one is better. The newly built glass rooms and doors have alarm systems—if they’re not properly shut or are left open for too long, an alert sound will go off. There are also more cameras."

Steve’s face broke into a smile again as he remembered something, "Oh right, I just heard from a zoo employee that after you appeared in their live stream, the zoo’s online tickets for today sold out! The reptile house is partially closed, and the snake exhibit is not open to the public, but there are still plenty of people waiting outside."

Feng Yi was well-prepared for this, "I’ve inquired already; there’s an internal passage that can be taken to leave from the side gate."

"Good, as long as you’ve got it figured out," Steve said, the smile deepening on his face. "Did you also sign that agreement just now?"

"Not yet, everyone’s very busy right now. The crew mentioned we can sign it after the filming," Feng Yi replied.

Steve laughed and patted Feng Yi’s shoulder, "Let’s go! It’s time to choose some eggs!"

Once they resumed filming, the crew brought out the box Feng Yi had seen in the hatchery, but now it contained only six eggs instead of nine.

The crew said, "You can choose the eggs you like now."

Looking lovingly at the eggs, Steve asked the director, "Can I choose them all?"

The director smiled politely but firmly refused, "No, you can’t!"

Steve, not ready to give up, said, "I can pay extra!"

The director’s facial muscles twitched, showing a moment of hesitation, but he still said, "...No, it’s not possible!"

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to take the money, they couldn’t!

The Conservation Bureau wouldn’t allow it!

Steve reluctantly shifted his gaze and turned to Feng Yi, "You pick first."

Without much hesitation, Feng Yi pointed to the egg with the most faint life signal, "That one."