Chapter 303: Raising Hundreds of Class-One National Protected Animals

"This is the Xifeng Sika Deer, an artificially bred new variety," Ning Fei said, stepping in front of another breed of deer.

The owner, He Wei, was completely won over by now, and he said, "Temple Master Ning has a great eye. This is indeed the Xifeng Sika Deer. It has been a very popular choice for breeding in recent years because of its high survival rate and the large antlers it produces."

The viewers in the live stream, however, were thoroughly confused:

"Can someone tell me how this Xifeng Sika Deer looks any different from the Shuangyang Sika Deer we just saw?"

"I was thinking the same thing. They look exactly identical."

"They're all just sika deer, how can you even divide them into such fine categories?"

"Just how much does Temple Master Ning know? He can even tell apart specific breeds of sika deer?"

"Some people are just naturally face-blind. Take me, for example. I don't mean any offense, but to me, all black people seem to look exactly the same."

"You have to look at the details. The color, the coat patterns, and the overall size of the deer are all different."

"All I can say is that Temple Master Ning is amazing."

Looking at the Xifeng Sika Deer, Ning Fei turned to ask Jiang Xue, "How much do you know about the Xifeng Sika Deer?"

Jiang Xue smiled and replied, "The Xifeng Sika Deer has a sturdy build and a relatively short torso. In the summer, its coat turns a light orange-yellow, while its winter coat takes on a grayish-brown hue."

"An adult stag yields an average of 3.06 kilograms of velvet antlers, with a high-quality rate of about 75%. Their overall survival rate sits between 70% and 78%."

Hearing Jiang Xue's words, Ning Fei broke into a smile.

"Not bad. The Xifeng Sika Deer's winter coat is this grayish-brown color, which isn't the prettiest to look at. However, its summer coat is exceptionally vibrant and quite beautiful to admire."

After that, they moved on to inspect the next batch of fawns.

"This is the Xingkai Lake Sika Deer, a medium-to-large breed. They are characterized by their larger spots and high survival rate. The velvet antlers they produce have a better shape and are plump and tender."

"And this one here is the Changbai Mountain Sika Deer. It has a slightly smaller frame and produces fewer velvet antlers, but its major advantage is a 100% high-quality rate for the antlers it yields."

Ning Fei explained while observing the two different breeds of fawns.

He Wei could only marvel to himself, for everything Ning Fei said was absolutely flawless.

"So, Temple Master Ning, how are you planning to make your purchase?"

Ning Fei pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Taking the age structure into account, I'll take fifty adult deer and two hundred fawns."

"Let's do half Xifeng and half Shuangyang. It isn't good to mix too many breeds together."

"Additionally, I'll personally inspect every single deer when the time comes. I won't accept any that don't meet my standards."

He Wei immediately smiled and said, "You can rest easy on that front. We are the largest deer farm here in Western Shaanxi. Our source stock is definitely of the highest quality."

Ning Fei remained noncommittal to his words.

He would wait to see the actual quality for himself when the time came.

Sika deer were incredibly adorable creatures. Their eyes were bright and expressive, radiating a vibrant Spiritual Energy.

Afterward, Ning Fei paid the deposit, agreed upon a specific time with He Wei to inspect the deer, and left the farm with Jiang Xue.

Ning Fei drove while Jiang Xue sat in the passenger seat as they made the journey from Chang'an back to Qincheng.

The next step was to handle the recruitment for the Wenyan Deer Enclosure. The sanctuary still needed a large staff to take care of the deer.

Ning Fei's requirements were strict: applicants had to be Qincheng locals or permanent residents of the city, and those with relevant work experience would be prioritized. He wanted people who could commit to working long-term at the sanctuary, not just fans looking to join the fun because of his name.

The living quarters at the sanctuary had been renovated well in advance.

There was a small, standalone villa built like a palace, fully equipped with all necessary amenities. It was intended as the residence for the sanctuary's core personnel.

Currently, there were only two core members: Ning Fei and Jiang Xue.

Deep inside the small palace were two adjacent bedrooms, accompanied by comprehensive living facilities outside, including a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

The interior design here had been handed over to Jiang Xue a while ago. After all, she was the sanctuary manager and would be living there permanently.

"You even prepared a room for me,"

Ning Fei said with a smile as he stepped inside.

"Temple Master, the sanctuary is yours. Of course there's a room for you," Jiang Xue nodded and said.

Ning Fei looked at her. For some inexplicable reason, Jiang Xue's pretty face flushed red. She avoided his gaze, looking away instead.

Ning Fei didn't press the matter further.

The running water hadn't been hooked up here yet, and since Ning Fei had to go back and take care of the little animals that night, Jiang Xue would temporarily stay at Qingfeng Temple for the evening.

Starting tomorrow, once the sanctuary's various structural setups were complete, it would finally open for operation.

Having not seen her for a long time, the little animals eagerly welcomed Jiang Xue back. Even though the Xiao Heijius didn't know her, they were pet cats with naturally clingy personalities, so they acted quite affectionately toward her.

The next day, Ning Fei started his live stream from within the Wenyan Deer Enclosure, giving the viewers a tour of its various structures.

This time, Ning Fei had brought all the little animals from Qingfeng Temple along with him.

The little ones were thrilled to arrive in such a beautiful environment. It wasn't long before they scattered in every direction to go play.

The biggest feature of the Wenyan Deer Enclosure was its exceptionally large landscaped garden.

It featured artificial rockeries and traditional pavilions. This area would typically serve as an activity space for the sika deer—though only a portion of them. The rest of the herd would be divided into other designated zones.

Livestock farming had always been a troublesome business, often associated with messy, unhygienic environments due to the constant need for cleaning.

Ning Fei, however, had a different philosophy. His sanctuary had a standard capacity of six or seven hundred deer, but he only planned to raise a little over two hundred.

With fewer deer, the environment wouldn't be as bad, and the sika deer would enjoy far more living space.

Hiring a few extra workers would make it even more convenient.

It was worth mentioning that Jiang Feng had previously spoken to Ning Fei about the sanctuary's staffing issue, offering to let the Jiang family handle the hiring and cover all the wages.

Ning Fei had flatly refused the offer.

He wanted the sanctuary to belong entirely to him. That meant everyone—including its manager, Jiang Xue—had to take their orders from him. If the Jiang family's workers came in, Ning Fei would always feel a bit awkward.

Jiang Xue also firmly told Jiang Feng from the start that he was not allowed to interfere with the sanctuary's affairs.

Jiang Feng thus stopped meddling.

However, Jiang Feng had noticed that ever since his sister received acupuncture treatment from Ning Fei, she had become somewhat infatuated, pouring all her heart and soul into the deer sanctuary.

Instead of acting like a proper wealthy young lady, she was enthusiastically playing the part of a Daoist priest's maidservant. That was something he had never expected.

Still, there was nothing Jiang Feng could do to stop it.

Inside the Wenyan Deer Enclosure, Ning Fei was currently playing a game of fetch with Little Dog using a frisbee.

Little Dog was energetic by nature and was having the time of his life running around the garden.

Upon seeing this scene, the viewers in the live stream immediately began commenting:

"The life of the rich is truly so unpretentious and simple."

"Good lord, even a dog gets a garden this massive to play in."

"I'm officially envious."

Aside from relaxing, Ning Fei and Jiang Xue also processed a mountain of applicant information. It was a tedious task simply because of the sheer volume of resumes submitted.

The two of them worked late into the night in the small palace.

"This person is very caring. They previously worked as a pet store employee and have experience raising pets."

"Here's a lady who lives nearby. She has worked as a cleaner and a nanny. I checked her ratings on the nanny recruitment site, and several of her clients were highly satisfied."

"This one works too. They majored in veterinary medicine and worked at a zoo. They're a perfect fit for our on-site vet position."

The two passed the resumes back and forth, voicing their opinions.

By the time they finalized the list of candidates for the next day's interviews, it was already midnight.

The night passed peacefully.

The next day was dedicated to interviewing for the sanctuary. Ning Fei and Jiang Xue interviewed every shortlisted candidate, eventually finalizing the staff roster for the Wenyan Deer Enclosure.

They hired one vet who would also serve as the animal nutritionist, three breeders, two cleaning ladies, and one chef.

Ning Fei offered extremely generous compensation, earning him the title of a conscientious boss. While his requirements were relatively high, his main focus was always on the character of the applicants.

With everything settled, all that was left was to head to Jiuqu Deer Farm and pick up the deer.

Just in time, right after the interviews concluded, news arrived from the Jiuqu Deer Farm. They informed him that the fawns were ready and waiting for Ning Fei to come make his selections.

Ning Fei was decisive; he headed straight to the Jiuqu Deer Farm the very next day.

He muttered to himself:

"Raising hundreds of Class-One National Protected Animals."

"I guess you could say it's fulfilling one of my dreams."