Tiger, I rejected the iron rice bowl.

Northeast China.

Deep winter.

Linhai City Central Zoo.

The biting wind, carrying snowflakes, swept across the iron fence of the central zoo in Linhai City, making a soft, mournful sound.

"roar!"

A tiger's roar suddenly exploded, like thunder rolling across the sky, making people's eardrums buzz.

This sound was not the lazy roar of a tiger kept in a zoo, but rather carried the strength and wildness of the mountains and forests, crashing into the hearts of everyone from the direction of the nature reserve behind the zoo.

Visitors who were about to have their tickets checked at the main gate suddenly stopped in their tracks, and children who were stuffing snacks into their mouths forgot to chew.

A girl in the park who was taking a selfie with a selfie stick almost dropped her phone because her hand trembled.

Even the old man feeding the bears by the cage shakily raised his head, his cloudy eyes filled with astonishment.

All eyes turned to the direction from which the tiger's roar came.

But the animals in the zoo react even faster than humans.

The mischievous monkeys on Monkey Mountain instantly fell silent. Their figures, which had been leaping and bounding about, all clung to the top of the cage net, staring intently at the northwest.

The various birds in the aviary squeaked, folded their tail feathers, and shrank their necks to burrow into the corner.

Even the usually docile giraffes were pacing nervously, their long necks stretched taut, and their ears pressed against the back of their heads...

The entire zoo seemed to have been muted, with only the suppressed breathing of the animals and the soft sounds of their limbs rubbing together. All living beings were using their most primal instincts to submit to that kingly roar.

Echoing the animals' instinctive reactions are the staff of the Linhai City Central Zoo.

Their walkie-talkies crackled with a dense electrical buzzing almost the instant Tiger Roar landed, transforming into a ingrained alertness even before the tourists' doubts appeared on their faces.

"Waaaaah—waaaah—"

The piercing alarm shattered the tranquility of the park, and staff in park uniforms rushed out from their posts.

Holding megaphones, their voices trembled slightly with urgency, yet each word was clear: "Please, tourists, do not panic! Stop your tour immediately! Follow me to this restaurant!"

"Please don't panic! Stop your tour immediately! Follow me to this exhibition hall!"

"..."

At the same time, the park's public address system was taken over immediately, and the female announcer's calm yet urgent voice filled every corner, looping over and over again:

Attention, tourists! Attention, tourists!

We have an urgent announcement: a wild tiger is heading towards the zoo!

To ensure your safety, the park has activated its highest level of emergency response.

All tourists are urged to remain calm immediately and strictly follow the instructions below:

Stop your visit immediately and do not go to the area or try to look for or observe the animals.

Please follow the instructions of on-site staff quickly and in an orderly manner to the nearest indoor venue, such as a restaurant, souvenir shop, restroom, or emergency shelter for shelter.

Once inside, be sure to lock the doors and windows, stay away from all exits, and keep quiet.

If you are on the sightseeing bus, please stay inside, close and lock the windows and doors, and follow the instructions of the driver and staff.

Please do not run or scream, so as not to cause unnecessary panic or agitate the animals.

Please take good care of the elderly and children around you.

Rescue and security personnel have arrived at the scene to handle the situation.

Please remain calm, wait patiently for further instructions, and do not leave the shelter until it is confirmed that you are safe.

To reiterate: All visitors are urged to immediately seek shelter in the nearest sturdy indoor location, remain calm, and follow the instructions of staff!

The broadcast was still echoing, and the tourists who had been trying to move towards the direction of the tiger's roar were completely panicked.

Some people were walking around in circles with tickets and maps in hand, while others were pulling their companions' arms and running towards the nearest building. The cries of children mixed with the shouts of adults, instantly breaking the previous silence.

"Please don't push! Come in order! The exhibition hall has enough capacity!"

A young man in uniform stood on the steps, using his body to block the throng of people, while his other hand held a megaphone tightly, shouting, "Elderly people and children, please go first! Don't panic!"

In the chaos, some people helped the fallen children up, and others voluntarily made way for them. Under the guidance of the staff, the initially panicked crowd gradually formed an orderly line and moved towards various shelters.

The "culprit" that caused chaos throughout the zoo, the wild tiger mentioned in the broadcast, was squatting on the hilltop of the nature reserve behind the zoo, yawning at the snowy sky!

Wang Yu opened his large mouth, which was covered with barbs, his jawbone almost dislocated. White mist carrying the chill of the mountains and forests spewed out from his throat, condensing into a small frost flower at the tip of his nose.

He stretched out a truly relaxing yawn, his front paws digging hard at the snow twice, revealing the dark brown frozen soil beneath, and his tail swept across the ground like a thick whip, kicking up a cloud of snow.

This tiger's body, weighing over 400 kilograms, was full of explosive power. Every muscle line was faintly visible under its fluffy winter fur. However, deep in its amber tiger eyes, there was a sense of helplessness and complaints that was completely different from that of a ferocious beast.

He squatted in the knee-deep snow, his massive body pressing a deep crater into the ground. His head was tilted slightly as he stared at the chaotic zoo at the foot of the mountain, his tiger ears twitching occasionally to shoo away the snowflakes that landed on their tips.

"What's going on? This is the fourth time already, why are you making such a fuss?"

Wang Yu rolled her eyes inwardly, her paws unconsciously digging at the snowdrift. "Are all netizens hibernating these days? Why can't I, this wild internet celebrity tiger with my own built-in audience, become popular? If I don't trend on social media soon, even the authors will start playing hide-and-seek with me."

Three years ago, he was a corporate slave who stayed up all night to earn a little money. When he opened his eyes, he became a tiger cub crying for milk in his mother's arms.

With his human intelligence and the unwavering belief that "being able to eat is a blessing," he managed to feed himself into becoming a "giant" among the tigers.

Just after his second birthday, his weight soared to 300 kilograms, making him much stronger than other tigers his age. His mother's gaze changed from loving to disgusting, and she eventually kicked him out of the house.

Back then, he hadn't even mastered hunting yet. He would fall into a snow hole while chasing a rabbit, and he only survived because of his size.

Once, when he was so hungry he was seeing stars, he followed the roar of a helicopter into the zoo and saw, through the fence, a zookeeper throwing hot meat balls to a tiger. He was so moved that he burst into tears.

Isn't this the "iron rice bowl" he's always dreamed of?

With food, lodging, and someone to take care of you, it's a hundred times better than being exposed to the elements in the wild!

But to everyone's surprise, the zoo staff were even more "principled" than he was.

The first time he sneaked out to the outskirts, he was knocked unconscious by a tranquilizer gun and sent back deep into the mountains.

The second time, he was smarter and shouted twice at the door to signal his "surrender," but he was put into a cage and taken away again.

The third time, he barged into the zoo and staged a "bump and run" incident at the director's office door, but he still couldn't move the director's "heart of stone".

This is the fourth time he's come looking for me!