118: Playing with lions

He walked up to the male lion.

This behemoth, weighing over two hundred kilograms, was currently burying its head in its front paws, not even daring to glance at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan reached out and pressed his hand directly onto that massive lion head.

It felt rough, the mane was a bit prickly, and it carried a scent of soil—not nearly as smooth as petting a cat.

"Look up."

Jiang Yuan lightly patted its head.

The male lion looked up tremulously, its eyes filled with a mixture of fawning and confusion.

It didn't understand why the aura of this human had become so friendly, making it unable to resist wanting to get close.

Jiang Yuan scratched its chin.

The lion squinted its eyes comfortably, and a 'purring' sound actually emanated from its throat, sounding like a high-powered tractor.

"Since you're being so good, let's take a photo together."

Jiang Yuan took out his non-existent 'phone'—in reality, it was a holographic projection from his Eternal Star City personal terminal, but to an outsider, the visual deception made it look like a black smartphone.

He found an angle.

The background was the vast Serengeti plains and that solitary Baobab Tree.

The foreground was himself.

Beside him was a wild male lion, leaning its large head in to ask for pets.

*Click.*

The frame froze.

Jiang Yuan looked at the photo and nodded with satisfaction.

"I haven't posted an update in a long time; my fans probably think I've gone missing."

He thought for a moment and casually opened the TikTok short video app.

Jiang Yuan clicked the red 'Start Live' button.

He typed out a title on a whim: [Walking a cat in Africa, good afternoon.]

The moment the stream started.

The originally black screen of the livestream room saw the number of online viewers skyrocket from 0 to 100,000+ in just three seconds.

The bullet chat refreshed frantically like a waterfall, even causing the video to stutter for a moment.

“???????”

“Holy shit! He's back from the dead!”

“The missing person has returned! Grandpa! The streamer you followed has finally started broadcasting!”

“Where is this? This lighting, this vegetation... is he in Africa?”

“Is that... a lion?! Holy shit! Is that a real lion?!”

Jiang Yuan adjusted the camera lens, letting himself and the male lion beside him enter the frame together.

He waved at the camera, his tone relaxed:

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

“I'm currently in the Serengeti, Tanzania.”

“I just finished eating and came out for a stroll, and I happened to run into a few enthusiastic little guys.”

As he spoke, he casually grabbed one of the lion's massive paws and waved it at the camera:

“Come on, Simba, say hello to the family.”

The male lion looked completely bewildered, allowing Jiang Yuan to manipulate its paw. It even cooperatively opened its mouth to yawn, revealing two canines longer than daggers.

The livestream room instantly exploded.

“I'm kneeling! That's a wild male lion, right? Look at those scars and the mane; that's definitely not zoo-raised!”

“Streamer, are you crazy? That close? Do you want to die?”

“Special effects! It's definitely special effects! AI technology is so advanced now, I don't believe anyone would dare play with a lion like that!”

“To the person above, look at the changes in the shadows and the trajectory of the flies. If special effects could reach this level, Hollywood would have to kowtow to God Jiang!”

“God Jiang: Although I have many billions, I still prefer the simple and unadorned life of petting cats.”

“This cat is a bit big; how many kids does it eat in one meal?”

“Am I the only one who noticed the look of enjoyment on this lion's face? It seems to be really enjoying it...”

At this time, several brave lion cubs also approached.

They didn't have the fear of adult lions yet; they only felt that the warmth coming from this person was very comfortable.

A fluffy little lion cub wobbled over to Jiang Yuan's feet and began to gnaw on his tactical boots, acting with 'fierce' cuteness.

Jiang Yuan smiled and leaned down, lifting the ten-kilogram little fellow with one hand and rubbing it in his arms.

“This one feels better than the big one.”

Jiang Yuan smiled at the camera: “It's soft, but there's a bit too much drool.”

The number of online viewers surpassed five hundred thousand within ten minutes.

Almost all the traffic on the entire platform was being sucked in.

After all, having grown accustomed to streamers who just twist their waists and sing, who had ever seen a truly top-tier billionaire treating a pride of lions like pets on the African savannah?

Jiang Yuan didn't pay much attention to the content of the bullet chat.

He just treated this as a window to share his life.

“It's very hot here, about thirty-six or thirty-seven degrees.”

Jiang Yuan leaned against the male lion, using it as a leather backrest, and pointed toward the distant horizon.

“But the scenery is truly beautiful.”

“Over there is the migrating army of Wildebeests.”

“Tomorrow I plan to go check out the Mara River; I heard the crocodiles have been hungry for a year.”

Just then, the male lion seemed to grow a bit impatient. It rolled over, exposing its belly, signaling for Jiang Yuan to continue scratching its itch.

Jiang Yuan smiled helplessly, put down the lion cub in his hand, and continued to serve this King of the Savannah.

“Alright, I'm done chatting.”

“This big cat is a bit clingy; I have to play with it for a while.”

“See you next time.”

There was no preview, no 'like and follow so you don't get lost,' and he didn't even wait for the gift special effects to finish.

Jiang Yuan clicked 'End Stream' directly.

The screen instantly went black.

Leaving behind a group of unsatisfied viewers frantically sending bullet chats to the black screen.

Turning off the holographic projection.

Jiang Yuan patted the lion's head and stood up.

“I'm heading out, Simba.”

“Thanks for the hospitality.”

The male lion seemed to understand his words. It flipped over and sat up, watching the black-clad figure disappear at the end of the bushes. Only then did it lie back down and let out a lazy, low roar.

Bidding farewell to that clingy lion, Jiang Yuan stepped onto the scorching red earth of the afternoon and slowly returned to the camp under the Acacia Tree.

Just as he stepped onto the terrace stairs, a soft purification beam swept over his body, instantly decomposing the dust on his soles and the wild beast scent clinging to him until they were completely clean.

“Welcome back, Master.”

Ling was already waiting at the door. She was still wearing that black and white maid outfit, her long silver hair meticulously coiled behind her head, and an impeccable smile hung on her stunningly beautiful face.

Jiang Yuan walked into the living room, kept at a constant 24 degrees Celsius. The refreshing coolness instantly dispelled the sweltering heat of the savannah.

Ling stepped forward, holding an iced towel that emitted a faint minty fragrance, gently wiping Jiang Yuan's face and hands.

Her fingers were warm and delicate, and the temperature of her fingertips was controlled just right. If Jiang Yuan didn't know her background, he would find it impossible to believe that this perfect body was actually an ultimate weapon capable of destroying an army.

“Help me massage my shoulders.”

Jiang Yuan walked over to the floating leather sofa and lay down lazily.

“As you wish.”

Ling knelt beside the sofa, her hands resting on Jiang Yuan's neck and shoulders.

It wasn't mechanical kneading; instead, she released weak bio-currents through her fingertips, precisely stimulating the deep fascia of every muscle.

That tingling, numbing, and refreshing sensation made Jiang Yuan let out a comfortable sigh involuntarily.

At the same time, a glass of freshly synthesized lime sparkling water, still emitting cold mist, was silently delivered to his hand by another mechanical arm.

Outside the window was the scorching sun and wild Africa; inside the window was the ultimate enjoyment brought by technology.