Volume 1, Chapter 28: Mao Mao

Lin Yifan looked at the tiny fledgling and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Is this a golden eagle? It looks way too much like a chick. Especially the tuft of black down right on top of its head—it really looks just like a newly hatched chicken. The only difference is that while a newborn chick is only the size of an egg, this one is the size of a fist. It could be considered a sturdy little chick.

Lin Yifan examined the golden eagle chick and, after a moment of hesitation, asked cautiously, "Can you understand me? If you can, nod your head."

As soon as he said it, he felt like he had lost his mind. Even if a golden eagle is rare, it is still just a bird. How could it possibly understand human speech?

However, at that very moment, the golden eagle chick nodded. A glimmer of unusual intelligence shone in its round, beady eyes. This took Lin Yifan completely by surprise; he almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He stood frozen for a while before stammering, "Y-you really understand what I'm saying?"

The little golden eagle nodded again, then began to nibble on its eggshell. Lin Yifan instinctively wanted to stop it but held back. He suddenly remembered that some birds do indeed consume their eggshells after hatching. While humans might see eggshells as nothing more than calcium carbonate with no nutritional value, it is different for birds. The shells contain many nutrients and elements beneficial to them. Therefore, some birds eat their shells bit by bit after birth.

Seeing the chick eating with such relish, Lin Yifan decided not to interfere. Besides, a bird that could understand human speech surely knew whether or not it could eat the shell.

Once it had finished every bit of the shell, Lin Yifan said excitedly, "Little guy, let me give you a name! Look at all that fluffy down—how about I call you 'Mao Mao' from now on? Mao Mao, Mao Mao! Are you happy with that name? If you are, give me a chirp!"

Perhaps because he had been living alone since arriving in this world, even though he could contact others through the chat channel, he still inevitably felt a sense of loneliness. Having a little pet to keep him company—and a legendary golden eagle at that—it was no wonder Lin Yifan was so thrilled.

The fledgling, having finished its eggshell and feeling sleepy, didn't seem to know if it understood him, but it actually lifted its head and let out a soft "chirp." After the chirp, it began to doze off.

Watching this, Lin Yifan’s heart raced with excitement. The little eagle could truly understand him and even respond—its intelligence was incredibly high! How could he not be thrilled to have such an intelligent pet?

Seeing that Mao Mao had fallen asleep, he didn't disturb it further. Although he didn't know how to raise a bird, he knew a little about raising children—they spent most of their time sleeping when they were young. Surely, it was the same for this bird!

But what do golden eagles eat? How should he feed it? Lin Yifan frowned, feeling a slight headache. He truly didn't know how to properly raise a golden eagle. However, he wasn't panicked. While he didn't know, there were 100,000 people in Zone 10086—or rather, about 96,000 left. Surely, among so many people, someone must know how to raise a bird.

Lin Yifan immediately opened the chat channel and posted: "Does anyone know how to feed a golden eagle? If someone can provide a complete guide on how to raise a golden eagle, I will provide a reward."

Lin Yifan was quite famous in Zone 10086; at the very least, most people knew him. As soon as his message hit the chat, the group erupted.

"Wow! It's Big Brother Lin Yifan! You've been working hard all day, are you tired? Do you need me to comfort you with a voice message? My voice is really lovely!"

"You death-trap, quit trying to fool Big Brother Lin with that fake cutesy voice. He won't fall for it! He only likes beautiful girls, like me. So, Big Brother, look at me?"

"Oh, stop the nonsense! The big shot is asking a question, not picking a concubine. You people just want to use your bodies to get ahead—stop being so disgusting!"

"Wait, the big shot is asking about how to raise a golden eagle? Did he actually get one and wants to raise it?"

"Golden eagles are hard to raise! These things eat meat, and they have huge appetites. We can barely feed ourselves, let alone anything else!"

...

Most of the responses were just idle chatter or useless opinions. There was no value to be found.

Lin Yifan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, so he posted again: "Everyone, please stop the banter. I am genuinely asking for help. How should one raise a golden eagle? I will pay for the information."

At this point, everyone realized that Lin Yifan was serious. The chatter gradually died down. Just then, Lin Yifan noticed a message in his private chat channel. He opened it to find a message from Ruan Qintan:

"You want to raise a golden eagle? Before coming to this world, I was an employee at a large poultry breeding base. I have some experience in raising various birds."

"If you trust me, shall I explain it to you in detail?"

Lin Yifan hadn't expected Ruan Qintan to have such a skill. He immediately replied, "Please, tell me. How should a golden eagle fledgling be fed? And what are the precautions?"

Seeing this, Ruan Qintan realized he really had obtained a golden eagle chick. What kind of luck was that?! She felt a pang of envy but answered earnestly:

"Although golden eagles are considered rare and exotic birds on Earth, they are actually quite easy to raise."

"They are omnivores, but they feed primarily on meat, with other foods as supplements."

"During the fledgling stage, you can feed it fresh meat. Remember to cut the meat into thin strips; it’s easier for them to digest."

"Besides meat, feed it fruit every two days. Any kind of fruit will do, as long as it likes it."

"Also, you must give it water! It’s best to prepare a bowl so it can drink and take medicine if needed, so we don't accidentally harm the pet through our own negligence."

Lin Yifan read the instructions carefully, stood up immediately, grabbed a container filled with water, and placed it in front of Mao Mao. Then he sent a message: "Thank you for the advice, I know what to do now! By the way, what kind of reward would you like?"

"Reward..." Ruan Qintan hesitated for a moment, then sent a message with a pained heart: "No need for a reward, it was just a simple thing to mention."

She certainly wanted a reward, but she wanted to build a good relationship with Lin Yifan even more.