Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The professional who tested the aquarium’s water quality, young nerd Paul, lifted his head up from the front of the computer screen after he heard Karl’s voice.
“Paul, come over and meet someone. This is the person that my daughter Reina mentioned––the one in the same trade as us who’s here from China. His name is Jeff Zhang and this is his dog, Famous. This is one amazing dog! The film it was a lead star in is currently showing at the Berlin Film Festival. It might even get an award…” Karl introduced.
“Erm, hello. I’ve heard of you!” Paul shyly greeted Zhang Zian and waved his hands at Famous. “Hello, Famous! I’ve heard great things about the film you starred in. If I wasn’t tied up here, I would have made my way down to Berlin for the films.”
Famous let out a bark with great vigor as a greeting.
“Hello! Nice to meet you!” Zhang Zian walked over and shook hands with Paul. From Karl’s solemn introduction, Zian was aware that the nerd-like expert played a pivotal role in the aquarium.
When Paul shook hands with Zian, he realized that he still had the disposable rubber gloves on and quickly took them off.
After the introductions and greetings, Paul learned about Zhang Zian’s purpose in coming and enthusiastically explained the water quality testing console that he was in charge of.
Water quality was the basics of the basics for fish keeping, especially saltwater fishes. The requirements for keeping them were much higher than those for keeping freshwater fish. The factors included water temperature, salinity, specific gravity, PH value, nitrite, nitrate, silicate, phosphate, carbon dioxide, iron, calcium, magnesium, and water hardness. It was a very complicated and systematic process that had often left beginners discouraged.
The surface of the water quality testing console was very messy. Placed on top of the console were test tubes, measuring cups, catheters, electronic testing pens, hydrometers, test strips, reagents, a large number of drugs, and other unknown equipment. The items took up almost all of the space atop the console. Most of the items were marked with German words, so Zhang Zian did not even recognize a single word.
Paul was very enthusiastic in his introductions, but Zhang Zian’s standard for the English language was limited to those for daily conversations. Zian was immediately exposed when Paul touched on the technical terms––he listened to Paul with a blank look on his face throughout the long introduction.
Karl noticed Zian’s awkward situation and interjected, “Paul, slow down. Our guest just arrived, so there’s no need to rush. Why not let him take a look on his own first?”
Karl’s suggestion was exactly what Zian had intended to do. Although the water quality testing console was very complicated, there was still a rule that it followed or a pattern that it ran on, just like the if/else in calculator language. When the soldiers invaded, the general fended them off; when water flooded, a dam would be built. Zhang Zian did not intend to research the principles intensively. His only intention was to learn how to operate the console, how to analyze the value, and how to adjust the water quality.
However, before Zian made his return to Binhai City to inherit the pet shop, he had made a few visits to some aquariums in other big cities. Those aquariums that he had visited did not have any specialized water quality testing equipment set up, much less did they have an expert in water quality testing stationed in the aquarium––that was the difference in professionalism.
The overall size of the German pet market could not be compared to the size of China’s pet market, but their professionalism and expertise were at least ten years ahead of China.
In addition, the aquarium equipment made in Germany enjoyed a worldwide reputation for quality. But just having the equipment was not enough; the key was in the operator for the equipment, just like how someone with a good camera might not be a good photographer.
Paul smiled awkwardly and said to Zhang Zian, “Okay, you can come look for me whenever you need to.”
“Thanks.” Zhang Zian gratefully nodded to him, determined to learn as much as he could in the next few days. As long as he was able to learn thirty to forty percent of Paul’s knowledge, then it would be enough for him to handle his own aquarium.
Karl took out two cans of cold beer from the fridge behind the water quality testing console and threw one of the cans to Zhang Zian. “Let’s go. I’ll show you around. If you have any questions, just ask away.”
Looking into the dark aquarium, aside from the entrance, the three other walls were filled up with aquarium tanks of various sizes. Some of the tanks had only aquatic plants, some had corals, but most of the aquarium tanks were home to a great variety of fish which presented a bizarre, underwater world.
Compared to freshwater fish, saltwater fish were more vibrant in color. They swam around in the water under the illumination of the halogen lamps and every single one of them looked very healthy and brimmed with vitality.
Zhang Zian’s eyes were fully occupied with the scene before his eyes. His heart was filled with envy. With an aquarium of such scale, it was hard to imagine the amount of time, money, and energy that was put into building it.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Zian caught sight of a medium-sized aquarium tank. In a corner of the tank, there were two to three round and white objects that somehow left Zian horrified, caused him to shudder, and gave him goosebumps!
In the dark aquarium, Zian felt like his windpipe was tightly gripped by someone and it became difficult for him to breathe.
Initially, Zian thought that he had made a mistake since such a thing should not have existed in an aquarium. This was Germany, not Los Angeles, and it was not like he crossed over into some budget Hollywood horror film…
But after taking a closer look, Zian knew that he had not made a mistake.
It was a few white colored skulls, half buried in all the sand and pebbles. A brown deadwood with its entangled roots and intertwining branches slanted across the tank. Several green aquatic plants grew out from the eye sockets of the skull and swayed gently with the faint flow of water.
There were also several fish swimming around in the water. They were spindle-shaped with a celadon-colored body and a bright splash of red on their bellies.
Why would there be skulls in an aquarium?
Could this be some kind of black shop that lures customers in before killing them to feed the fish? Like the kind that serves human meat buns?
Zian’s strange and grotesque imagination started to run wild. Images grew in his head like wild grass. Zian looked down at Famous, seriously considering if they should turn around and run for their lives… But there was Old Time Tea behind them. Even if they met anything dangerous, Old Time Tea would take care of it.
“You don’t look too good… Did you get scared?” Karl took a big gulp of beer and mischievously asked as he stared at Zian’s face.
As he trembled with fear, Zhang Zian pointed at the skulls in the aquarium tank. “That’s…
“Of course they’re fake. It’s something like my sick sense of humor!” Karl laughed out loud. “Everyone always gets shocked during their first visit here. Go closer and take a look.”
You can’t catch a tiger’s cub without entering the tiger’s lair––with no risk there would be no returns. While embracing a tragic mood, Zhang Zian walked over to take a closer look.
After approaching, Zhang Zian realized that the skull was indeed a fake, kind of like the props used to scare people during Halloween. It was mainly due to the distance away from the aquarium tank. The visual interference from the water paired with the special lighting and atmosphere in the aquarium had caused Zian to mistake the props for real ones… It was so scary someone could’ve died!
This aquarium was exactly like the pet shop in Berlin. Every display case or aquarium tank was labeled with details on the animal inside, it’s habits, and feeding methods.
After making sure that the skull was a fake, Zhang Zian composed himself and wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. He then looked at the label, which wrote, “Natteri; place of origin: Peru.”
In other words, kept in this aquarium tank was the fabled piranha.
