Seeing the bear, Lin Qianqian was scared: "It will bite people, won't it!"
Lu Zhe nodded: "Yes, they are a very dangerous kind of animal!"
"What is it eating?"
"Termites!"
Lu Zhe looked at the familiar figure: "The Malayan sun bear's two favorite foods are honey and termites. Its long tongue can reach into the termite mounds and directly get to the termites inside."
Lin Qianqian was stunned for a moment, and involuntarily shivered at the thought of Lu Zhe sucking scorpion venom.
She was secretly thinking: Is Brother Zhe hinting something to me?
Lu Zhe got up and said, "Let's go over and have a chat with it."
"Hey, it won't be dangerous, will it!"
"Don't worry, I'm familiar with this one!"
Lu Zhe walked over. The Malayan sun bear was still happily eating termites, completely unaware of the approaching people.
Lu Zhe patted its shoulder!
It turned back with a mouth full of termites, and was so scared when it saw Lu Zhe that it flipped over backwards. It climbed up and was about to run away.
Lu Zhe grabbed its hind leg.
It struggled to run but couldn't escape. It wanted to turn back and bite instinctively, but seeing Lu Zhe's harmless expression, it didn't dare to actually bite down. It let out a desperate howl and sat down on the ground.
It had a resigned attitude.
"We meet again, my friend!"
Malayan sun bear: "..."
"You're a nocturnal animal, what are you doing out here in broad daylight?"
Malayan sun bear: "..."
"You're hungry, aren't you!"
The Malayan sun bear growled.
Lu Zhe patted the Malayan sun bear's head: "Listen, there have been too many misunderstandings between us before, and I'm very sorry that I accidentally hurt you a few times. But I promise, this is the last time. As long as you don't eat termites and honey, I won't beat you up!"
It seemed like the Malayan sun bear understood. It waved its paws despairingly, as if saying: "You can take whatever you want from me..."
"I don't want to take anything away. I just want to uphold a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development philosophy on this island, to promote the overall development of the islanders and animals! With one lick of your tongue, you get barely any protein, but hundreds of termites lose their lives, and the entire termite mound could face annihilation. Do you think that's right?"
Although the Malayan sun bear didn't understand what Lu Zhe was saying, it felt he made sense. It hung its head in shame.
"From now on, I won't care if you catch a mouse or dig up some bird eggs, or eat a banana or pick a coconut. There are plenty of those on the island. Just don't eat termites anymore, okay?"
The Malayan sun bear growled, unclear whether it was agreeing or refusing.
"Good, I'll give you some bananas to fill your belly for now. Hurry back to your own territory, this isn't your turf, it will be dangerous!"
As he spoke, Lu Zhe let go of his hand. He took out a bunch of bananas from his pack and threw them to it.
It looked at the bananas warily, afraid that something terrible would jump out after it took a bite.
Lu Zhe's face darkened, and he suddenly shouted: "Eat quickly!"
The Malayan sun bear shuddered in fear, and immediately stuffed the bananas into its mouth. It was surprised to find that this time it had not been tricked.
"See, much more obedient?"
Lin Qianqian was surprised: "This bear is so humane!"
"Mainly because it is awed by my charming personality."
Lin Qianqian nodded: "I'm also in awe! By the way, should we just dismantle part of the termite mounds?"
"It would be too much trouble to move them, let's..." Lu Zhe noticed that after the Malayan sun bear finished the bananas, it didn't leave. Instead, it sat next to him, scratched its mouth, and scratched its belly.
"Why aren't you leaving yet?"
"Grrr!"
Lin Qianqian thought for a moment: "It must not be full yet!"
Lu Zhe shook his head: "Probably not... It seems to be saying that after eating our food, it wants to help us do something, otherwise it would feel bad."
"Is that so?"
"Definitely. It won't leave until we let it do something."
As he spoke, Lu Zhe tied a bamboo basket onto the Malayan sun bear's body.
The Malayan sun bear called out in confusion a couple times, twisting its body trying to shake off the basket. But seeing Lu Zhe, it finally didn't dare actually do so.
Lu Zhe used a shovel to dig up a third of the termite mound, then put the pieces in the basket.
"Much easier with your help, Brother Bear!"
The Malayan sun bear growled twice, seemingly protesting and aggrieved.
After searching for another half hour, Lu Zhe found a second termite mound. Similarly, he only dismantled a third of it, and put the pieces in the bear's basket.
Of course, the Malayan sun bear would occasionally lick the termites in the mound fragments, and Lu Zhe didn't stop it. After all, the termites here were meant to be cleared out anyway.
At this time, Lu Zhe discovered monkey tracks again.
Not just one, but a whole group.
They were chittering noisily in the distance in the red mangroves.
How could the monkeys have gathered together again just two days after their monkey king died?
Lu Zhe felt a little worried, but also curious.
"Let's go take a look!" Lu Zhe took Lin Qianqian's hand and quietly crept towards the monkey group. The Malayan sun bear also followed, but Lu Zhe waved his hand: "You smell too much like a bear, stay farther away!"
The Malayan sun bear ran away relieved.
Lu Zhe found a rocky hollow to hide in with Lin Qianqian.
"They'll throw rocks at us if they find us!" Lin Qianqian worriedly whispered.
"That's why we have to be careful not to let them discover us. I want to see what they're up to!"
The rocky hollow was very narrow. Lu Zhe and Lin Qianqian had to press very close together to both squeeze inside.
Lin Qianqian thought to herself: "As expected, Brother Zhe will come up with different excuses to get close to me, while I can't think of such clever methods..."
She softly leaned against Lu Zhe's embrace.
But Lu Zhe's eyes were fixed on the monkey group!
At this moment, seventeen or eighteen monkeys were squatting in the trees. It looked like the group had shrunk quite a bit!
Only two monkeys were under the trees, spaced two meters apart, staring at each other with eyes that seemed on fire.
Although not as big as the previous monkey king, they were still some of the larger monkeys in the group.
Lin Qianqian whispered: "What are they doing?"
Lu Zhe nodded: "They're probably having a showdown to see who will become the new monkey king as leader of this group. Then these monkeys will have a new commander again."
Before he even finished speaking, the two monkeys started squealing and scuffling with each other.
They picked up anything they could - rocks, branches - and fiercely threw them at each other's heads and faces, seemingly trying to kill each other!
The monkeys in the trees squealed as well, as if cheering them on!
This fight lasted a full hour until finally, the stronger one defeated the more agile one. The losing monkey was left in a dying state.
The other monkeys together pelted it with objects, pounding the defeated monkey to uphold the new monkey king's absolute authority.
The new monkey king panted and was exhausted, but succeeded in being crowned!
The other monkeys brought it fruits and crab legs, presenting their blessings to the new king!
It arrogantly climbed up a tree to overlook everything below.
In the days to come, it would lead its troop of monkeys to continue multiplying and being glorious, pouring heart and soul into becoming overlord of the deserted island!
At this moment, anticipation was written in every monkey's eyes.
At this sight, even Lu Zhe was moved. Then he bent his bow and drew an arrow!
"Whoosh!"
He shot an arrow straight into the new monkey king's chest!
The monkey king didn't even have time to warm his throne before falling off the tree, dead!
The other monkeys were stunned by this sudden change. They screamed and scattered!
Lu Zhe put away his bow: "Well, they won't be able to make trouble again for a while. We can go now!"