Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 594 - 387: The Centerpiece of the Collection Hall_2

Chapter 594: Chapter 387: The Centerpiece of the Collection Hall_2

Wei Hongxun: "This has to be analyzed specifically based on the situation."

A’bin didn’t believe in "specific analysis," he asked, "Can I send it to a zoo?"

Wei Hongxun said, "Of course you can, if there is a zoo willing to take it."

A’bin immediately took out his phone: "Please give me some time. I’ll contact the zoo right now, quickly! I will pay them to take care of it!"

This exotic lizard, unlike the common pets people have in their lives, could not be handed over to private individuals, as everyone feared being reported and fined.

If the attachment wasn’t deep, or if one had the heart to do it, the creature might have already been cooked.

It couldn’t be released into the wild, and one couldn’t bear to kill it, so the only option left was to send it to zoos or similar places.

Wei Hongxun asked, "Hadn’t you thought about sending it to a zoo before?"

A’bin hesitated, but still nodded and said, "I tried to test the waters before, but the people there didn’t respond."

Zoos now dare not accept pets of unclear origins, or those delivered voluntarily without going through official procedures and obtaining certification, fearing the attention of the wildlife protection bureau.

Previously A’bin had not been resolved to make a decision, but this time the escape of the pet due to negligence provided the chance to be upfront, and now he could directly go through the official process.

A’bin had the contact information for a person in charge at the zoo. That person might be busy at the moment and unable to talk, so A’bin sent a message, but he also kept an eye on Wei Hongxun’s actions.

While A’bin was contacting the zoo, Wei Hongxun looked around the buildings and their arrangement and said to Feng Yi, "Your place looks nearly finished. When are you going to open? Oh, my mistake, this is your private collection. Is it open to the public?"

Feng Yi replied, "I might open it to the public for a couple of days every so often, but not frequently."

A’bin had just replied to a message from the zoo and when he heard their conversation, he finally took notice of his surroundings.

"Where is this?"

Feng Yi: "My private collection."

A’bin was surprised: "A collection? What do you collect?"

Feng Yi: "Some animals that I have caught."

A’bin thought of Feng Yi’s status as an expert at the wildlife protection bureau and the news about him online, and his expression shifted slightly.

He asked, "Including crocodiles and such, apart from snakes?"

"Yes," Feng Yi said.

"Do lizards count? You just caught a ’Tyrannosaurus’ as well, right? It counts?"

Feng Yi looked at the lizard.

This fellow who delivered himself could also have a spot in the collection.

"It counts," Feng Yi said.

A’bin was about to say something, then restrained himself and asked, "Your ’collection’ here, are these specimens?"

Feng Yi said, "They are just scale models."

"Oh! Then you can make a model to scale of the ’Tyrannosaurus’! I know you might have caught this kind of lizard when you were catching pythons in Florida, but ’Tyrannosaurus’ is different! I have photos and videos from when it was young until it grew up, high-definition shots from every angle! And detailed data records! If a model is made based on this, it would definitely look more realistic! Its appearance changes significantly each year, and even its colors change during breeding season! You can make several!"

Feng Yi: "...There’s no need for that many."

A’bin: "Then, how about making models of its juvenile, sub-adult, and adult stages?"

Feng Yi still did not reply.

A’bin: "Then how about just the juvenile and adult stages? It looks different in the juvenile stage compared to the adult stage. The adult stage looks much more majestic and regal, and a model to scale would be very recognizable. But for the juvenile stage, one should be made so people can become familiar with its appearance to avoid confusing it with other lizards, for instance, our local Texas Spiny Lizards, which are too easily harmed by mistake..."

At this point, A’bin suddenly stopped talking.

Feng Yi and Wei Hongxun looked over at him.

Wei Hongxun: "Texas Spiny Lizards?"

A’bin: "..."

Wei Hongxun’s sharp gaze closed in: "Have you caught a Texas Spiny Lizard?"

A’bin swallowed: "I’ve seen them in the wild, but I swear I’ve never kept one! I know Texas Spiny Lizards are Category II protected species, I definitely wouldn’t dare to keep them!"

He hadn’t lied, he just hadn’t told the whole truth. He had mistakenly captured a giant spiny lizard before, but indeed, he had never kept one.

Without looking at Wei Hongxun, A’bin flipped through his phone’s photo album and continued to offer suggestions to Feng Yi:

"Here, this is what it looked like when it was young. You guys would surely find it easy to recognize, but those who are unfamiliar could easily mistake it. When compared with the giant spiny lizard, one is an invasive species, the other a protected animal. Educating the public about this is quite meaningful, right?"

Wei Hongxun didn’t respond as expected but simply said, "You know this is an exotic species that poses an invasion risk!"

A’bin earnestly accepted the criticism: "I have deeply realized my mistake!"

Before leaving with the people from the conservation agency, A’bin also told Feng Yi that he would copy the photos and videos of the "Tyrannosaur" onto a hard drive and bring it over later.

Seeing his determination, Feng Yi was genuinely worried that A’bin would send him at least several hundred gigabytes, if not a few terabytes, of photos and videos.

"No need for so many, just select a portion," Feng Yi said.

"Alright!"

In A’bin’s mind, since not too many photos and videos were needed, he would certainly pick out those characteristic of the "Tyrannosaur," such as skin color patterns, domineering postures, fierce eyes, and so on.

To others, these creatures all looked similar, but as a pet owner, he could recognize many details.

He wanted the model that would remain in Feng Yi’s private collection to be the "Tyrannosaur," not just any lizard found randomly on the internet.

Why hadn’t he sought out someone to custom-make a life-size model?

It was A’bin’s personal choice.

He could save photos, keep videos, and collect items from the period when he had raised the "Tyrannosaur," but he couldn’t accept having a high-fidelity life-size model in his home.

He couldn’t accept it himself, but he was more than willing to recommend it to others, to let more people see it.

"Oh right, I will compensate for the damage the ’Tyrannosaur’ has caused here! Please accept my apology," A’bin said to Feng Yi.

As the pet had caused damage, it was only right for him, the owner, to compensate.

After A’bin and Wei Hongxun left, Feng Yi continued to look over his collection.

He had already seen the small garden and walked into the exhibition hall of the collection.

It was still empty at the moment, and the arrangement of the collection spots was in full swing.

The completed models were stored in a warehouse not far from here. They would be moved over after the subsequent renovations of the collection were finished.

For the interior layout, the placement of each collection piece was created using artificial plant landscaping. In addition to simulating each species’ habitat, there would also be other decorative elements to establish the atmosphere.

The project manager took the interior layout very seriously. Although the landscaping work was outsourced to a professional team, he would oversee the confirmation personally.

Currently, only a portion of the collection spots in the museum had confirmed species. The museum space was vast and not yet full; more would be added gradually over time.

At present, they were following the received planning schedule.

Since this museum was not for profit and a private place, the location of the models and the order of the exhibits were arranged according to the timeline when Feng Yi encountered these species, rather than by rarity or visual appeal.

Thus, the construction staff did not need to expend effort on the sequence. They just had to follow the list provided by the client.

They had an idea for most of the collection spots and display areas, but there was one spot that was still a mystery.

It was a special but very important exhibit spot. According to the design plans, this was the centerpiece of the exhibit area.

The entire collection was circular in shape, the exterior resembling an Ouroboros, but at the "Ouroboros’ tail," the space was larger.

This area represented the beginning, the end, and also the core.

The model to be placed in this special area would certainly be very important, even carrying a core significance.

Previously, the project team had information that there would be a model over two meters tall here, but they didn’t know what it would look like.

They had speculated before that if it were over two meters long, it could be a snake, a crocodile, or many other animals; but if it were over two meters tall, other than the Titan boa model, could it be some prehistoric creature?

"We are currently working on the interior layout, but there’s still a question. Since we don’t understand and haven’t received the landscaping design for this collection spot, it is left empty for now," said the project manager.

Pointing at the core area, he asked, "What kind of species will be placed here?"

Feng Yi paused for a moment and then said, "You don’t need to worry about this area."