Chapter 69

"Ah Jing, what did Mr. Xue invite you for, to watch dolphins?" Shi Qing leaned close to Su Jing's ear and whispered.

"To see a dolphin that won't eat or listen to commands," Su Jing smiled.

"Don't they have a veterinarian or a trainer? Why do they need you?" Shi Qing felt a bit puzzled, but then she remembered how Su Jing had successfully tamed a killer whale, and she suddenly understood. She glanced at Su Jing curiously, wondering how he had become such a skilled animal trainer.

"We're here." Xue Zonghong opened a door and led Su Jing and Shi Qing into a huge swimming pool. On the shore, several trainers were directing the dolphins in the pool, making them perform various actions and exercises. However, one dolphin was hiding in a corner, refusing to move no matter what the trainers did.

"Brother Xue."

"Brother Xue, you're here."

The trainers clearly respected Xue Zonghong, and they greeted him warmly. Seeing Su Jing and Shi Qing, they looked puzzled, as this was a place for training dolphins, and outsiders were generally not allowed in, especially during training sessions.

"Brother Xue, please come and take a look. Little Chong still won't eat or listen to commands," the trainer with a round face said, looking worried.

"Let Mr. Su take a look," Xue Zonghong said.

"Him?" The round-faced trainer was taken aback, and the other trainers looked at Su Jing in surprise, thinking they must have heard wrong.

"Brother Xue, you said you would invite a skilled trainer, and it's him?" The round-faced trainer was astonished. Yesterday, when Xue Zonghong mentioned meeting a highly skilled trainer, they had all been impressed. After all, Xue Zonghong was an authority in this field, and anyone he praised must be extraordinary. But this person seemed too young.

"Xiao Mei, please step aside," Xue Zonghong said without further explanation.

"Okay." Gu Mei, though puzzled, obediently moved aside.

"Little guy, what's wrong with you?" Su Jing approached and squatted down. A dolphin about three meters long was hiding in the corner, looking dejected. It didn't react to Su Jing's words.

"Can you help stabilize it?" Su Jing turned to Gu Mei.

"Sure." Gu Mei, hearing Su Jing's request, didn't underestimate his skills. She understood that even the most skilled trainers needed time to familiarize themselves with the animals. Ignoring the previous trainer's assistance would be unwise. She reached out to support the dolphin's head and gently stroked it.

Su Jing slowly approached and also stroked the dolphin. The dolphin, looking listless, didn't resist. Su Jing placed his hand underwater and secretly pricked the dolphin, letting a drop of blood fall onto the Beast Token.

"I'm in so much pain, I want to die," a young voice echoed in Su Jing's ears.

"What's wrong with you? Where does it hurt?" Su Jing was startled by the young voice, realizing that the dolphin's problem was more serious than just refusing to eat; it had suicidal tendencies.

"Everyone is too noisy during the performances," the dolphin turned its head, seemingly surprised that it could communicate with Su Jing.

"Too noisy?" Su Jing was taken aback but quickly understood. He had heard before that dolphins have hearing far superior to humans, so applause and cheers are very loud to them. Some dolphins can tolerate it, but others can't. Xue Zonghong had mentioned that this dolphin was particularly intelligent and popular, so the cheers when it appeared must have been the loudest. The audience's enthusiasm, meant to be welcoming, was actually a torment for the dolphin.

In fact, the issue of whether dolphins should be kept in captivity has always been controversial. Many people believe that dolphins, with their high intelligence second only to humans, have emotions similar to humans and should not be kept in captivity. Moreover, humans do not fully understand dolphins, and many human actions, though well-intentioned, can harm them. There have been multiple instances of captive dolphins committing suicide.

This reminded Su Jing of a legendary figure—Richard O'Barry. Starting in 1960, Richard O'Barry was a world-renowned dolphin trainer, famous for his work in films like "The Dolphin's Story" and "Flipper." He was synonymous with dolphin training and performances, and his shows inspired a generation of American children to aspire to become marine biologists.

However, at the height of his success, when dolphin shows were widespread, he decided to dismantle the entertainment industry he had built. The turning point came when, after returning from a trip to India, one of the dolphins in "Flipper," named Kathy, who was O'Barry's favorite, swam to him, took a breath, and consciously closed her blowhole, committing suicide in his arms.

This event deeply shook O'Barry. He suddenly realized how foolish and absurd it was to capture and train dolphins. He vowed to spend his life advocating for the rights of dolphins. He founded the Dolphin Project and launched a campaign to release captive dolphins. He spent ten years as a dolphin trainer but spent the next forty years fighting against dolphin training and captivity. For this, O'Barry was repeatedly arrested around the world for trespassing on private property—dolphins.

"Your name is Little Chong, right?" Su Jing stroked the dolphin's head. He wasn't as extreme as O'Barry. In reality, dolphins do enjoy interacting with humans, and captivity has played a significant role in understanding and protecting them. The issue has both pros and cons and can't be dismissed outright.

"Yes," the dolphin nodded.

"I'll make sure everyone is quiet from now on. Will you stop being sad, okay?" Su Jing said.

"Can you really make everyone quiet?" The dolphin's voice was full of surprise. Its greatest pain might have been the lack of understanding from humans.

"I promise. If they are noisy again, I'll take you to the sea."

"Thank you." The dolphin called out, nudging Su Jing's hand affectionately. Although dolphins are intelligent, they are still animals, and compared to humans, they are like children, naturally without the cunning to suspect that Su Jing might be lying.

Seeing the dolphin's reaction, Xue Zonghong's eyes lit up, Gu Mei's eyes widened, and the other trainers gathered around, looking amazed. Shi Qing also opened her eyes wide, watching curiously.

"Have you heard that you swim very fast? How about we have a race?" Su Jing changed the subject.

"I won't race you," the dolphin seemed a bit disdainful.

"Oh? Are you afraid you can't beat me?" Su Jing smiled.

"How could I not beat you? Let's race," the dolphin called out, like a child, easily falling for the challenge.

"One, two, three, go." Su Jing jumped into the pool and swam forward quickly. The dolphin started a bit later but quickly overtook Su Jing, completing a lap and catching up to him before Su Jing had even swum a third of the pool's length. It was inevitable that he would lose in a speed race with a dolphin.

"You swim so slowly," the dolphin didn't swim far ahead this time, intentionally staying in front of Su Jing, its eyes filled with a teasing look. It even flicked its tail, splashing water on Su Jing's face.

"Stand still," Su Jing suddenly lunged and climbed onto the dolphin's back. The dolphin, like a child, started playing with Su Jing.

Watching this scene, Xue Zonghong, Gu Mei, Shi Qing, and the other trainers were completely stunned.