Super Zoo

The carps have a row of fin-like spines growing on their backs, standing up more than a dozen centimeters tall, and those are all sharp bone spikes. Riding on them would be almost like riding on a row of nails.

Last time Suming rode a fish, in the eyes of Liang Shi and Professor Chu, it was a matter of life and death, a necessity.

But if it were to be a leisure activity, safety and comfort would come first. Even if visitors were willing to "sit on a nail board" for the novelty, the zoo and Suming would not dare to take the risk. If someone were to get their buttocks pricked by a spine, it would be a serious accident.

Suming, however, seemed confident: "Leave the fish training to me, and I'll handle the other issues as well. All you need to do is manage these fish well in the future."

"Then there shouldn't be much of a problem," Liang Shi nodded.

However, he was still curious. Despite the fish's large size and seemingly friendly demeanor, their intelligence was very low due to species limitations, unlike animals with high intelligence such as cats, dogs, and dolphins, and were thus difficult to tame. Their "friendliness" was merely an instinct.

Not to mention fish, even a horse, is not something you can ride just because you want to. Horses also require long periods of professional training, and a wild horse's danger level is no less than that of a fierce animal.

Even tame mounts are not entirely safe and still pose the risk of throwing their rider off.

Not to mention fish!

Liang Shi really couldn't figure out what methods Suming had up his sleeve to be so sure he could tame those big fish.

Lacking any cunning plans, Liang Shi simply asked Suming directly as soon as the question popped into his head.

"Hehe, I can talk about everything else but not this. It's a family craft that's never shared. My old man made me swear when he was alive that I'd only pass it down to the boys and not the girls. Otherwise, I'd be cursed with bad luck!" Suming rambled on.@@novelbin@@

Hearing Suming talk so resolutely, Liang Shi had to suppress his burning curiosity, knowing it wouldn't be appropriate to ask any further.

With a thought, Suming directed the big fish to stand by at the lake's edge. He then ran back to Whisperwind Pavilion, returning with a pile of tools. He picked a shallow spot by the lake, waded in, and had the big fish line up and swim to him one by one, measuring their length, girth, and even pulling open their mouths to measure the "caliber."

Liang Shi couldn't understand what Suming was up to, but he followed behind with paper and pen, dutifully noting down whatever Suming said.

After taking all the measurements, Suming brought the notebook filled with Liang Shi's notes back to Whisperwind Pavilion.

Riding the fish safely was never a worry for Suming.

There's a saying that the older the ginger, the spicier it is, and a thousand-year-old turtle becomes a spirit. Each of these big fish was like a creature that had cultivated into a spirit. Although they weren't as intelligent as wolf and dog brothers, their IQ was still higher than that of ordinary fish. At least they understood one fact: if they harmed humans, they would be in for a bad time.

This survival instinct could suppress their wild nature, so with that premise and then using spiritual power to train and condition the fish to obey commands, even in Suming's absence, they would be well-behaved enough to be ridden. This was not a difficult task.

The current problem was how to ride them. Their backs were slippery and sharp. Even if the big fish were willing, most people couldn't mount them.

Closing his eyes, Suming envisioned several patterns in his mind, and then opened up a design software. Using the recorded data, he turned the imagined patterns into computer models and sent them to Wang Hao over the Internet.

"Hey, Wang, doesn't one of your dad's subsidiary units have a horse farm?" Suming asked over the phone.

"Hold on..." It sounded like Wang Hao was singing at a karaoke bar, with deafening music in the background. He probably stepped out of the room to find a quieter place before continuing, "Damn it, I'm accompanying some folks from affiliated units for karaoke; I'm about to puke from all the drinking... What's that, you mentioned a horse farm? There's one, but you're not thinking about raising horses, are you? Su, let me tell you, it seems fancy, but it's really not lucrative. The owner of that horse farm got millions invested and can't get out of it. I advise you not to make the same mistake..."

Wang Hao was probably drunk, his words slurred and babbling non-stop to dissuade Suming from getting into the horse business. Suming hurriedly cut him off, "Stop, stop... I have no intention of raising horses. Can you ask the horse farm people if they can make a batch of leather protective gear for me?"

"You mean like saddles, stirrups, and stuff?" Wang Hao asked.

"Something like that, but the styles are a bit different. I've drawn a few sketches and also size data for the protective gear; I'll email them to you for you to check out when you get home tonight," Suming said.

"Got it... Well, I'll head back then, they're calling me in for another drink... uh..."

Suming shook his head, thinking that Mr. Wang really went all out. Despite his dad being a leader, he still had to socialize all day, drinking excessively.

It wasn't two or three days before Wang Hao showed up at Shuijun Lake, not in his small X-wing Tiger but in a rented truck, which had the back loaded with several large cardboard boxes sealed with duct tape.

After getting out of the truck, Wang Hao, looking puzzled, asked Suming, "Su, I've brought the protective gear, all made of top-quality leather. But the sizes you've given are really odd — they don't fit a horse, more like a big fat pig. Is the zoo planning a pig-riding event?"

Suming looked at the increasingly chubby Wang Hao and said with a laugh, "You never visit our zoo; where would we get pig riding from..."

Wang Hao paused for a moment before realizing, and rubbed his double chin in distress, "Damn, do I have some kind of strange disease? Why am I getting fatter and fatter?"

Suming poked his belly with a finger and advised, "Your body is your own, pay more attention in your daily life, so you don't end up with 'the three highs' while you're still young." Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelBin.net

They had had this conversation more than once. Wang Hao had always been heavyset, but ever since he had become a civil servant after graduation, he had been gaining weight as if he were fattened in April, prosperously putting on pounds. A few days of not seeing him was enough to notice an increase in his girth, faster than the growth of the big heads nourished by spiritual power. It even scared Suming to watch.

Wang Hao sighed, "Ai, at my last check-up, I already had high blood pressure and fatty liver. There's no helping it, it's the demands of the job."

Suming frowned slightly, "Did they prescribe you any medication?"

"There's no cure for this kind of illness. The doctor told me to maintain my health through daily care. Luckily, I'm still young, so there won't be any major issues for a while." Wang Hao shrugged, "Let's not talk about this, let's check out the protective gear."

...

"Big brother!"

Chengcheng, wearing a small floral dress, spotted Suming from afar and ran up to him, wanting a hug.

Suming chuckled and hoisted her up, greeting Zhao Yun's following parents, "Mr. Zhao, Auntie Zhao."

Zhao Yun's parents nodded and smiled, with Zhao Yun pointing at the boats coming and going on Shuijun Lake and the people lined up feeding fish on the shore, and remarked, "Your business is doing pretty well."

"Just some small commerce," Suming replied modestly.

Suming smiled and then turned to ask Chengcheng, "Are you scared, Chengcheng?"

Chengcheng's bright dark eyes spun around twice, and with a clever smile, she said, "If big brother takes me with him, I won't be scared!"

"Alright, big brother will accompany you!"

Suming laughed heartily, and Zhao Yun seemed quite casual about it, while only Zhao Yun's wife, Zhaoqian, looked worried. She tugged at Suming's sleeve, asking uncertainly, "Su, are you sure it's not dangerous? Chengcheng can't swim!"