"Wow...the queue." Blind Cat Cultivator, Xia Mao exclaimed when he saw the long line despite them coming at their usual time which was approximately six in the morning.
"To think everyone is waiting for Jin's new instance is mind boggling." Jing Yu hopped onto the last in line, only to find out there were several others already waiting right behind her.
"It had been widely advertised. From social media to traditional newspapers. Even my next door neighbour, that reclusive hoard-a-lot, had heard about the opening of a new Cultivation Zoo. Obviously, she does not know that it is a dungeon instance but news of a new Cultivation Zoo is no joke." Xia Mao said.
"Well duh, like in this country, there's probably only a handful of them." Jing Yu said before doing a quick search on the internet to find that there were approximately a hundred or so Cultivation Zoos.
"Not surprised. I remembered there was a period where a lot of the parks had to close down because of the animal's rampages. And the poor Zoo Guards were not high level enough to stop them. Not to mention the poorly maintained enclosures were only asking for trouble. Thankfully our zoo in Shenzhen is a little more proactive than reactive but there were telltale signs of it breaking down too." Xia Mao said as Jing Yu wondered how he got all this information.
"Ahh, I just had a few friends here and there. I even heard rumours that with this cultivation zoo, Shenzhen can close its zoo and do the necessary repairs and upgrades. A major renovation to entice the younger people too." Xia Mao added and Jing Yu shook her head. Not wanting to know whether it was a rumour or the truth.
"Anyways, do you want me to get some quick bites? The queue is this long anyways." Jing Yu said as she believed it's a waste of time staying around. However, just as she asked the question, there was an announcement not to leave their queues as queue cutting or reserving would not be tolerated.
This was because a couple of them decided to push through since a friend of theirs had managed to reserve an earlier part of the queue. In an instant, the infamous SWAT Pandas came out and pulled them to the back of the line, with no questions asked or arguments tolerated. If they were unhappy, they would be kicked out of the store instance.
Naturally, those who were in Jin's store for the longest time were already taking their phone cameras out to film the humiliation of the new customers who did not know the spoken rules and regulations. (Yet, none of them left their line despite being a busybody.) It was so bad at the front that it even caused Xia Mao and Jing Yu to see the commotion far from their line.
"If that was Zi Dan, I would not be surprised." Jing Yu smiled, reminiscing about her old friend who had already moved to Australia to accompany his family.
"Yea, he is those few who would cut people's queue and even gnaw back at those who threatened him. But I am surprised he can be that obedient in Jin's store." Xia Mao remembering the times when Zi Dan was an asshole.
"Were you not here? He tried to do it once, but got whooped so badly by those SWAT Pandas that he never dared to do it again." Jing Yu said and then the commotion got even bigger as the cultivator announced his grade out loud for the entire group to spectate.
"I am Tang Lao Ku! Loud Lion Cultivator Grade 12! And you measly computer generated animals dared to drag me out of my position?" Lao Ku shouted as he broke off the grapple from the panda's grip. "I am a customer and this is my friend! He is coming out of the queue for me to enter, what's wrong with that?"
"It is wrong because no swapping, cutting nor buying queue is allowed. If he is out of the queue, he has to queue once more. Simple as that. These are the rules of this store instance and you have to obey it." One of the SWAT Pandas said and the cultivators in the queue immediately confirmed this guy was a new first timer in Jin's dungeons despite his grade. He was probably interested in the new cultivation Zoo but did not bother even trying to queue for it.
The only good thing was almost everyone was already keeping quiet, awaiting the show to start even though some of them were already taunting at him to start queuing all over again.
"I do not have to be obliged to it once I beat you down!" Lao Ku shouted as he instantly portrayed his cultivation to show that he was not joking about his grade and threatening the guards to back off for one last time.
"Hey, even if we can't get out of the queue, at least there is some entertainment." Xia Mao said and Jing Yu was glad that the reminder announcement came by in time so she did not leave the queue. The cultivators beside him subtly agreed with him and they already took their phones out to watch the beatdown given by the Pandas. Also, it is not every day they get to see a Grade 12 Cultivator in action so they were wondering if the SWAT Pandas were able to live up to their reputation.
"Be my guest. Initiating Guard Protocol 'Beat the sense out of ignorant people'. SWAT P-1 and P-2, erect the barriers." The SWAT Panda Leader said the provocation from Lao Ku was seen as a declaration for not following the rules. Thus, the SWAT Pandas immediately erected a barrier among them and Lao Ku in order not to let the rest of the cultivators be collateral damage.
Seeing how the guards had no visible chi within them, Lao Ku thought this would be one hell of an easy fight, breaking them and showing them that ultimately, the higher the grade, the more they should listen to. Especially when winning this 'officiated' duel would equate to the ability to ignore the rules set by the dungeon supplier.
But he had forgotten that there would always be a mountain taller than the 'tallest' mountain.