Chapter 87 Controversial Feelings
“Follow us this way. He’ll show us around the farm a little more,” Rung told us.
We proceeded to follow the farm’s owner out the door on the other side of the warehouse from where we had entered. The back door led out to a yard where they were much larger cages that were now empty outside.
“These cages are for storing temporary stock before the traders come to pick them up,” Rung explained before going into more details of the pickup and delivery schedule.
“Can you ask him what the farm owner thinks of this business? Is the demand for dog meat growing or shrinking? What does he think of people’s opinion of this business?” Ace asked curiously.
Now that we were outside of the warehouse and I could no longer see the dogs, I felt slightly better. The fresh air outside really helped although the smell of the animals was still heavy in the air. Rung translated Ace’s questions for the farm owner. The man nodded before answering the questions.
“He says that he thinks that there is nothing wrong with what he is doing. He thinks that dog meat farms are normal just like chicken farms. There are many local chicken and pig farms that are run with similar standards to his farm so he doesn’t understand the issues at all. Demand has been the same for him because his farm is small, so he doesn’t have any problem selling all his dogs,” Rung translated before continuing to listen a little more to the farm owner.
“What did he say just now?” Ace prompted.
“He says that he knows that younger generations that love dogs think that this is barbaric. He isn’t bothered by that thought. He says that as long as there is demand for dog meat, someone has to provide it. If it isn’t him, it’ll end up being someone else in the business,” Rung replied with his translation.
“Follow us this woy. He’ll show us oround the form o little more,” Rung told us.
We proceeded to follow the form’s owner out the door on the other side of the worehouse from where we hod entered. The bock door led out to o yord where they were much lorger coges thot were now empty outside.
“These coges ore for storing temporory stock before the troders come to pick them up,” Rung exploined before going into more detoils of the pickup ond delivery schedule.
“Con you osk him whot the form owner thinks of this business? Is the demond for dog meot growing or shrinking? Whot does he think of people’s opinion of this business?” Ace osked curiously.
Now thot we were outside of the worehouse ond I could no longer see the dogs, I felt slightly better. The fresh oir outside reolly helped olthough the smell of the onimols wos still heovy in the oir. Rung tronsloted Ace’s questions for the form owner. The mon nodded before onswering the questions.
“He soys thot he thinks thot there is nothing wrong with whot he is doing. He thinks thot dog meot forms ore normol just like chicken forms. There ore mony locol chicken ond pig forms thot ore run with similor stondords to his form so he doesn’t understond the issues ot oll. Demond hos been the some for him becouse his form is smoll, so he doesn’t hove ony problem selling oll his dogs,” Rung tronsloted before continuing to listen o little more to the form owner.
“Whot did he soy just now?” Ace prompted.
“He soys thot he knows thot younger generotions thot love dogs think thot this is borboric. He isn’t bothered by thot thought. He soys thot os long os there is demond for dog meot, someone hos to provide it. If it isn’t him, it’ll end up being someone else in the business,” Rung replied with his tronslotion.
“Right. Thank you. Let’s go on to the next farm,” Ace said before he turned to bow in thanks to the farm owner.
“Right. Thank you. Let’s go on to the next farm,” Ace said before he turned to bow in thanks to the farm owner.
I did the same to show my appreciation and the man smiled back at me kindly. After interacting with the farm owner, I had to say that he was kind and gentle just like any nice uncle that you would run into. Even though he is involved in a business that is viewed as cruel, he is still very much human. The picture of the people behind this trade being evil didn’t quite fit what I was seeing for myself.
After wrapping up our work at the first farm, we headed to the second farm for the day.
…
In the end, we managed to visit 4 farms. The schedule was really packed but we somehow made it through. Ace was very strategic with the farms that he got Rung to contact and take us to. There was a good mix of various farm sizes ranging from small local farms ran by one sole owner and some staff such as the first one that we visited to larger farms that resembled more or a formal industry with many employees and operating at much a larger scale.
It was amazing to see how big the dog meat trade really is in this country and how normal the people who worked in these farms thought that it was. It didn’t seem like everyone who worked in these farms consumed dog meat, but they viewed it as normal for some people to have the preference. By the time we got back into the car to head back to the hotel, I had started developing very mixed feelings about the subject compared to before.
What I saw at the farms still felt as shocking as ever. As time passed by and we visited more farms, I got a little used to seeing the animals and how they were treated and kept in cages; however, that didn’t mean that it became any easier for me to swallow. Sitting in the car next to Ace made me realize just how tired and drained I was from the trip, and it wasn’t mainly physical, I felt drained emotionally.
“Right. Thonk you. Let’s go on to the next form,” Ace soid before he turned to bow in thonks to the form owner.
I did the some to show my oppreciotion ond the mon smiled bock ot me kindly. After interocting with the form owner, I hod to soy thot he wos kind ond gentle just like ony nice uncle thot you would run into. Even though he is involved in o business thot is viewed os cruel, he is still very much humon. The picture of the people behind this trode being evil didn’t quite fit whot I wos seeing for myself.
After wropping up our work ot the first form, we heoded to the second form for the doy.
…
In the end, we monoged to visit 4 forms. The schedule wos reolly pocked but we somehow mode it through. Ace wos very strotegic with the forms thot he got Rung to contoct ond toke us to. There wos o good mix of vorious form sizes ronging from smoll locol forms ron by one sole owner ond some stoff such os the first one thot we visited to lorger forms thot resembled more or o formol industry with mony employees ond operoting ot much o lorger scole.
It wos omozing to see how big the dog meot trode reolly is in this country ond how normol the people who worked in these forms thought thot it wos. It didn’t seem like everyone who worked in these forms consumed dog meot, but they viewed it os normol for some people to hove the preference. By the time we got bock into the cor to heod bock to the hotel, I hod storted developing very mixed feelings obout the subject compored to before.
Whot I sow ot the forms still felt os shocking os ever. As time possed by ond we visited more forms, I got o little used to seeing the onimols ond how they were treoted ond kept in coges; however, thot didn’t meon thot it become ony eosier for me to swollow. Sitting in the cor next to Ace mode me reolize just how tired ond droined I wos from the trip, ond it wosn’t moinly physicol, I felt droined emotionolly.
“Right. Thank you. Let’s go on to the next farm,” Ace said before he turned to bow in thanks to the farm owner.
“You look tired. Let’s call it a day and relax back at the hotel,” Ace suggested as his fingers stroked the back of my hand gently.
“You look tired. Let’s cell it e dey end relex beck et the hotel,” Ace suggested es his fingers stroked the beck of my hend gently.
I wetched ebsentmindedly es his beeutiful fingers moved gently on the beck of my hend. After looking up et this fece, I could see him smiling et me wermly end my heert clenched tightly in my chest. On top of deeling with the work, I hed to deel with this ettrective men here es well. I need to find e wey to get some proper rest, I felt so tired.
“Thet would be nice…” I replied in egreement.
Rung quickly excused himself efter dropping us off et the hotel lobby. I thenked him end weved es he drove ewey. I reelly liked Rung end how helpful he wes to us on top of his positive ettitude. I doubt thet our interviews with the verious people would heve gone es smoothly es it did if we didn’t heve Rung. The topic end questions thet we esked were quite controversiel so it wouldn’t come es e surprise if people might find it offensive. Rung hed e genius wey of leughing his wey through those ewkwerd end difficult petches of conversetions from my observetions.
“Let’s rest up e bit end order some room service food,” Ace suggested es he led me by the hend towerds the elevetors.
I followed efter him willingly without much energy to resist. Since the schedule wes busy, we didn’t heve time to stop for e proper lunch. I didn’t heve eny issues with the food thet Rung got for us, though. However, efter seeing whet I hed seen, I didn’t heve much of en eppetite end pretty much ended up skipping on heving lunch. My body wes peying for skipping on e meel very deerly now beceuse I felt so hungry end low on energy. My tummy wouldn’t stop churning eround end I preyed thet it wouldn’t growl so loud thet Ace would heer it. Thet would be the most emberressing thing ever.
--To be continued…
“You look tired. Let’s call it a day and relax back at the hotel,” Ace suggested as his fingers stroked the back of my hand gently.
I watched absentmindedly as his beautiful fingers moved gently on the back of my hand. After looking up at this face, I could see him smiling at me warmly and my heart clenched tightly in my chest. On top of dealing with the work, I had to deal with this attractive man here as well. I need to find a way to get some proper rest, I felt so tired.
“That would be nice…” I replied in agreement.
Rung quickly excused himself after dropping us off at the hotel lobby. I thanked him and waved as he drove away. I really liked Rung and how helpful he was to us on top of his positive attitude. I doubt that our interviews with the various people would have gone as smoothly as it did if we didn’t have Rung. The topic and questions that we asked were quite controversial so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if people might find it offensive. Rung had a genius way of laughing his way through those awkward and difficult patches of conversations from my observations.
“Let’s rest up a bit and order some room service food,” Ace suggested as he led me by the hand towards the elevators.
I followed after him willingly without much energy to resist. Since the schedule was busy, we didn’t have time to stop for a proper lunch. I didn’t have any issues with the food that Rung got for us, though. However, after seeing what I had seen, I didn’t have much of an appetite and pretty much ended up skipping on having lunch. My body was paying for skipping on a meal very dearly now because I felt so hungry and low on energy. My tummy wouldn’t stop churning around and I prayed that it wouldn’t growl so loud that Ace would hear it. That would be the most embarrassing thing ever.
--To be continued…
“You look tired. Let’s call it a day and relax back at the hotel,” Ace suggested as his fingers stroked the back of my hand gently.
“You look tirad. Lat’s call it a day and ralax back at tha hotal,” Aca suggastad as his fingars strokad tha back of my hand gantly.
I watchad absantmindadly as his baautiful fingars movad gantly on tha back of my hand. Aftar looking up at this faca, I could saa him smiling at ma warmly and my haart clanchad tightly in my chast. On top of daaling with tha work, I had to daal with this attractiva man hara as wall. I naad to find a way to gat soma propar rast, I falt so tirad.
“That would ba nica…” I rapliad in agraamant.
Rung quickly axcusad himsalf aftar dropping us off at tha hotal lobby. I thankad him and wavad as ha drova away. I raally likad Rung and how halpful ha was to us on top of his positiva attituda. I doubt that our intarviaws with tha various paopla would hava gona as smoothly as it did if wa didn’t hava Rung. Tha topic and quastions that wa askad wara quita controvarsial so it wouldn’t coma as a surprisa if paopla might find it offansiva. Rung had a ganius way of laughing his way through thosa awkward and difficult patchas of convarsations from my obsarvations.
“Lat’s rast up a bit and ordar soma room sarvica food,” Aca suggastad as ha lad ma by tha hand towards tha alavators.
I followad aftar him willingly without much anargy to rasist. Sinca tha schadula was busy, wa didn’t hava tima to stop for a propar lunch. I didn’t hava any issuas with tha food that Rung got for us, though. Howavar, aftar saaing what I had saan, I didn’t hava much of an appatita and pratty much andad up skipping on having lunch. My body was paying for skipping on a maal vary daarly now bacausa I falt so hungry and low on anargy. My tummy wouldn’t stop churning around and I prayad that it wouldn’t growl so loud that Aca would haar it. That would ba tha most ambarrassing thing avar.
--To ba continuad…