Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Kang Honglei was so excited his face turned red. He rushed over and gave Liu Xiang a bear hug, so tight he could barely breathe: "I knew you could do it! You're amazing! Ten times better than I expected!"

Liu Xiang scratched her head, feeling secretly pleased, but said modestly, "It's all thanks to Teacher Zhao's guidance; I was just figuring things out on my own."

Teacher Zhao smiled and waved his hand: "You're not just making things up; you have a knack for it and you understand it instantly."

After the audition ended, it was already noon, and the aroma of braised pork from the crew's canteen filled the entire courtyard.

Liu Xiang and the others quickly grabbed bowls and filled them with rice and meat, and the sound of happy rice being cooked echoed throughout the canteen.

After the lunch break, the crew didn't assign him any work. Everyone else was busy building sets and adjusting lights. Liu Xiang had nothing to do, so he wandered around the set a couple of times, watching the crew members carrying props back and forth, and felt a little bored. He stroked his chin, and a thought suddenly popped into his head—go to the zoo and pet the tigers!

After successfully auditioning, both Director Zhang and Director Guo praised him, saying that acting skills can be improved through self-study, and that diligence can make up for lack of talent. They advised him to watch veteran actors perform more, study his roles more, and he would eventually get better. As for the skills unlocked by the system, acting skills weren't something to rush into; wouldn't it be better to choose other practical skills?

For example… being stronger? Or being faster? After all, when acting out a tiger-fighting scene, being strong and fast is key when actually dealing with a tiger! Or… knowing some medical skills? That way, you can provide immediate emergency care if someone gets injured on set?

As Liu Xiang pondered this, he walked towards the film set's entrance, increasingly convinced of its validity. He needed to hurry to the zoo to pet the tigers a few more times, to meet the unlocking requirements as soon as possible, so he could decide which skill to choose.

He greeted the gatekeeper and rode the film crew's old-fashioned bicycle leisurely towards the zoo.

Humming a little tune, Liu Xiang pedaled his bicycle and soon arrived at the zoo entrance. He found the zookeeper, Old Li, who was squatting near the tiger enclosure, feeding the pheasants with an enamel mug. Seeing Liu Xiang, Old Li's eyes lit up, and he stood up with a smile: "Young man, you're here! Want to pet the tigers again?"

"Yes," Liu Xiang said with a smile, handing over a pack of cigarettes. "Director, could you please make an exception and let me get closer to Da Hu so I can figure out Wu Song's fierce spirit as soon as possible?"

Old Li took the cigarette, stuffed it into his pocket, and said cheerfully, "What's the trouble! You and Big Tiger are destined for each other; it treats you better than it treats me! Come on, I'll take you inside!"

As soon as the two reached the entrance of the tiger enclosure, they heard urgent cries for help and the sharp, ferocious roars of tigers coming from inside, sending chills down their spines. Liu Xiang's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong? What happened again? This zoo is really something!"

Old Li's face turned pale instantly, and he rushed inside, shouting, "Something's wrong! Something must have happened to Hua Hua!"

Liu Xiang followed Lao Li into the tiger enclosure, and the scene before him instantly made him tense.

The zookeeper, Old Wang, had half his body inside the cage of the tigress, Hua Hua, whose arm was being tightly bitten, blood streaming down his arm. Old Wang's face was deathly pale, cold sweat dripped down his forehead like beads, his lips were bitten purple, and he was groaning in pain, but he dared not struggle, for fear of angering Hua Hua.

Several zoo staff members, armed with iron bars and tranquilizer guns, stood outside the cage, but dared not approach. Hua Hua had Old Wang's arm in its mouth, letting out a low growl, its eyes bloodshot as if they had been dipped in blood. If anyone took a step forward, it would bare its sharp fangs, and the growl in its throat would grow even louder, scaring people into backing away.

"Don't shoot!" Liu Xiang shouted, rushing over and grabbing a worker holding a tranquilizer gun. "If the tranquilizer gun misses and angers it, Master Wang will be in even more danger!"

The staff member trembled at his shout, nearly dropping the tranquilizer gun. Old Li was also frantic, stamping his feet and grabbing Liu Xiang's arm, his voice trembling with tears: "Young man, please help! This Hua Hua usually doesn't even let us near it; it's very fierce. Only when I saw you petting the big tiger last time was it not so aggressive. Please save Old Wang!"

Liu Xiang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He carefully examined Hua Hua and noticed that its belly was slightly swollen, and its eyes, besides being fierce, also carried a hint of anxiety and unease. He suddenly sensed that Hua Hua seemed to be pregnant, which explained its unusually irritable temperament.

At this point, out of protectiveness, they might suddenly attack people.

Liu Xiang slowly squatted down, looking at Hua Hua, her voice soft and gentle, as if coaxing a sulking child: "Hua Hua, be good, relax, relax... I came by a few days ago, the smell is familiar, isn't it? Do you remember me?"

His voice seemed to have a magical power. Hua Hua, who had been roaring incessantly, paused slightly upon hearing his voice. The roar in her throat lessened a bit, and the force with which she bit Old Master Wang's arm seemed to loosen as well.

Liu Xiang felt a surge of joy, knowing he had found the right direction. He slowly stood up, gestured for the keeper to bring a piece of beef, and approached the cage step by step, making sure his footsteps were very light, so as not to disturb Hua Hua.

He held up the meat and waved it at Huahua, his voice softening even more: "Huahua, look, delicious, fragrant raw beef. I've loosened it up for you. You're pregnant, you need to eat more good food, right?"

Hua Hua's eyes were fixed on the raw meat, making gurgling sounds in its throat. Its tail flicked slightly, and it seemed a little hesitant. It looked down at the arm it was biting, then looked up at the piece of raw beef in Liu Xiang's hand, clearly thinking the raw beef tasted better.

Liu Xiang's heart was in his throat, and his palms were sweating. He continued to coax gently, "Be good, let go, I'll give you raw beef, it's much tastier than this arm... Don't worry, I won't hurt you, and I won't hurt your baby..."

As he spoke, he slowly slipped the raw beef through the gap in the cage and brought it to Huahua's mouth.

Hua Hua hesitated for a few seconds, then finally opened its teeth and began to gnaw on the raw beef, eating voraciously as if it had been starving for a long time. Liu Xiang also reached out and stroked the tiger's head.

Several staff members rushed over and hurriedly pulled Old Wang out of the cage. Old Wang's arm was bitten raw and bloody, with wounds so deep that bone was visible. He was twitching in pain, but he still bowed to Liu Xiang and said in a weak but grateful voice, "Thank you. I'm so glad you helped me. This time you saved my life..."

Liu Xiang watched as Old Wang was lifted onto the stretcher and breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Hua Hua, who was munching on raw beef in the cage, and softened his voice even more: "Hua Hua, eat slowly. I'll come to see you often and bring you delicious food."

Hua Hua raised her head, glanced at him, and this time didn't yell at him. Instead, she flicked her tail, turned around, and slowly walked to the corner of the cage, where she lay down and protected her belly with her body, looking quite at ease.