The Truth About Tiger Pee

Old Liu had worked at the zoo for thirty years, and his job was to clean the tiger enclosure. It wasn't a job that required much skill; it was just dirty and smelly. But Old Liu liked this kind of simple, direct work. Staring at the tigers all day was easier than dealing with people.

Recently, the zoo came up with an "innovation" and started selling tiger urine. They said that tourists were curious and wanted to buy it to "ward off evil." Old Liu thought it was absurd, but the director said it could generate revenue, and there was nothing shameful about it. So, in addition to cleaning the tiger enclosure, Old Liu had to collect tiger urine.

The method for collecting the urine was also simple and crude. Every morning, after the tigers had relieved themselves, Old Liu would go around with a small bucket to collect it. The tigers seemed to be used to it, lazily watching Old Liu. Old Liu wondered, could this tiger urine really ward off evil? Looking at these guys, they all seemed like fierce beasts.

The tiger urine was put into small glass bottles, labeled "Tiger Power for Warding off Evil," and sold for fifty yuan a bottle. Tourists flocked to it, as if they weren’t buying tiger urine, but some kind of sacred elixir. Old Liu watched the tourists holding the tiger urine with pious expressions and always felt something was off.

He secretly took a sip. Hmm, it was stinky, really stinky. It didn't taste any different from the other animals in the zoo.

One day, Old Liu went to collect the tiger urine again. He found that none of the tigers in the enclosure had peed. He found it strange because these guys usually peed a lot. He looked around and finally found a listless little cat in the corner. The cat was facing the corner and struggling to pee.

"Oh my god, this..." Old Liu understood instantly.

Old Liu picked up the cat and scratched its chin. The cat meowed, seemingly comfortable. Old Liu picked up his bucket and put the cat back in its spot. The cat started peeing against the corner again.

Old Liu looked at the light yellow liquid in the bucket, smelled it, and this time it didn't seem so stinky.

That day, the sales of tiger urine reached a new high. Old Liu watched the tourists holding the tiger urine with excitement and felt like he had seen through something.

After that, the zoo's tiger urine business grew larger and larger, and they even opened an online store. Old Liu also became the zoo's "tiger urine expert." His daily task was to collect, package, and then watch the tourists leave satisfied.

Until one day, a tourist found Old Liu and said the tiger urine he bought was the wrong color. Old Liu looked guiltily, and the bottle was colorless.

"This... this is real tiger urine, it's just a little diluted," Old Liu stammered.

The tourist was relentless and insisted on a refund. Old Liu had no choice but to take the tourist to the tiger enclosure and let him see for himself.

The tourist looked at the lazy tigers in the enclosure and then looked at the several cats peeing against the corner, and he suddenly realized.

"So... that’s how it is..." the tourist muttered to himself.

He didn't return the urine. Instead, he bought a large box of it.

"I'm not buying it to ward off evil, I just like the smell," the tourist grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.

Old Liu was stunned. He suddenly remembered, what was he busy with every day? He looked down at the bucket in his hand, and the stinky smell hit him in the face. He suddenly felt nauseous, and it wasn’t just because of the smell.

Old Liu quit his job. He didn't tell anyone the truth, not even the director. He just felt that everything here was too absurd.

On the day he left the zoo, Old Liu looked back. The sun was setting, and the zoo was lit up, like a huge circus. Old Liu quickened his pace, wanting to escape this place as quickly as possible. He smelled a faint, lingering smell of tiger urine in the air.