Future Pet Shop

Chapter 57: Auction

"Huh? I need to be vetted to buy your pet?" Wu Qingchen was stunned. The viewers in the livestream were stunned. The owners of the major livestreaming platforms were all stunned, too.

"Come to think of it, it makes sense. Don’t you need to be vetted to buy a Rolls-Royce or a Ferrari Enzo? A parrot like this is way more precious than a Rolls-Royce or a Ferrari Enzo, so it’s not strange for the shopkeeper to have extra requirements." After a moment, a wealthy viewer ventured a guess in the bullet comments. ’But if it’s such a big deal, why is he only selling it for 38,384.38 yuan? That price doesn’t fit Lord Cheeky at all, does it?’

"Haha, I knew it! Streamer, hurry and ask the shopkeeper what the requirements are! I just bought a Rolls-Royce, so I should be able to pass the vetting, right?" another wealthy viewer said smugly. He had been startled when Shen Yibin announced the price, afraid someone else would snatch Cheeky away. But now, in a surprising twist, there was a qualification review. ’If they use the same vetting process as those major luxury brands, Wu Qingchen definitely won’t qualify. Most of the viewers on this platform won’t either. The only ones who can compete with me are the other rich guys.’ He felt a bit more relaxed.

"That’s right, a parrot as incredible as Cheeky can’t just be sold to anyone, can it? Lots of people can afford over thirty thousand yuan, but not many can raise Cheeky properly." Most importantly, there were the ridiculous rules of the Future Pet Shop. If a customer didn’t meet the requirements, Shen Yibin couldn’t make the sale even if he wanted to.

"So, what qualifications need to be vetted?" Wu Qingchen was frustrated. ’Damn it all. Getting a job depends on your background, getting things done depends on your connections, and on a blind date they ask about your family situation. Now I have to be vetted just to buy a pet? What the hell is wrong with this society? Why is it so hostile to those of us at the bottom?’

"First, we need to see if you can sing or are skilled at playing a musical instrument. Cheeky requires two hours of high-level musical performance or singing every day. Can you manage that?" Shen Yibin’s answer made Wu Qingchen’s and everyone watching the stream’s jaws drop. ’So it’s not a background check, but a skills test!’ All of a sudden, many people with a special talent felt their hopes rekindle, while the wealthy viewers seemed to deflate a little.

Wu Qingchen felt utterly defeated. Although he was an online streamer, he wasn’t a musical one. His streams were usually focused on gaming; he was no good at singing or playing instruments.

"Streamer, ask the shopkeeper if I can hire professional singers or musicians to entertain Lord Cheeky every day?" one of the wealthy viewers, who also lacked this particular talent, asked, unwilling to give up. "As long as the shopkeeper agrees, I’ll hire professional performers from a music conservatory every single day to serve Lord Cheeky. We can alternate between Western instruments, traditional folk instruments, classical opera, and pop music."

’Anything that can be solved with money isn’t a problem.’ Young Master Wang could buy eight iPhones for Wang Ke in one go, so surely he could hire a few singers to entertain Lord Cheeky. "Yes, yes! I think my old sugar baby studied the guzheng. If the shopkeeper agrees, I’ll track her down and start sponsoring her again. She won’t have to do anything but help me take care of my bird!"

"Ooh, Mr. Moneybags, when you say ’take care of my bird,’ which bird are we talking about? The parrot, or your ’little bird’?" The bullet-comment section instantly turned lewd.

The comments from the wealthy viewers gave Wu Qingchen an idea, and he quickly asked Shen Yibin the same question. If that was an option, he could manage it too! Once he had Cheeky, would he really need to worry about the pocket change it would cost to hire professional singers and musicians?

However, his fantasy was ruthlessly shattered by Shen Yibin. Shaking his head, Shen Yibin said, "No. The buyer must be the one to sing or perform. No one else can substitute for them." ’Do you have any idea how hard I worked to learn how to cook? Do you know how awkward it’s been for me to practice my breathing for the past few days? And you think you can just solve it with a little cash? Things are never that simple!’

’Why didn’t I learn a useful skill back then?’ Watching his dream of marrying a rich, beautiful woman and reaching the pinnacle of life slowly fade away, Wu Qingchen was overcome with despair.

"Hahahaha! I never thought the piano lessons I took to pick up girls would finally be useful! Streamer, quick, ask the shopkeeper if a Professional Piano Diploma, Grade 1, meets the requirements?" a wealthy viewer cackled in the comments.

Piano proficiency was graded on two tracks: amateur and professional. One had to pass Amateur Grade 9 before even being eligible to test for Professional Grade 1. While a Grade 1 was nothing to brag about among actual professional musicians, it was considered exceptionally skilled for an amateur.

Wu Qingchen no longer had the strength to speak. He had just seen a ray of hope, a chance to reach the pinnacle of life, only to have it ruthlessly snatched away. Who could bear such a thing? Fortunately, Shen Yibin happened to glance at the bullet comments on his phone and answered directly, "If you truly have that level of skill, and you can commit to playing for Cheeky for two hours every day, then you can pass the first stage of the vetting process."

"Uh, you mean there’s a second and a third stage?" ’So it’s not that simple, after all,’ the wealthy viewer thought, feeling slightly dejected. Still, since he had passed the first hurdle, he had to at least give it a shot.

"The rest depends on whether or not Cheeky likes you. If Cheeky doesn’t like you, it doesn’t matter how well you play the piano. And I would never sell Cheeky to a customer it dislikes." ’Besides musical ability, there’s also an affinity requirement. And that affinity can only be tested with the app once they’re at my shop.’

"So, any friends who believe their musical talents are great enough to win Cheeky’s approval are welcome to come to my pet shop on Baiyun Street in Yunzhong City and try their luck," Shen Yibin said, seizing the chance to plug his store.

"Boss, let’s cut the crap. I can’t sing and I can’t play any instruments, but I’m rich. Flat price, I’ll give you five million. Will you sell me the parrot or not?" A bright red bullet comment instantly dazzled everyone.

"You have the nerve to show off with just five million? Shopkeeper, ignore him. I’ll offer eight million. If you agree, I’ll transfer the money to you immediately." Another wealthy viewer quickly piped up.

"Shopkeeper, I’m the owner of the XX Livestreaming Platform. If you’re willing to part with this parrot, I can offer ten million." The price was instantly inflated.

"Ban him! He’s come to our platform to poach business!" The owner of Wu Qingchen’s platform was furious. He immediately abused his admin privileges to ban and mute the rival, then made his own offer. "Boss, I won’t even ask you to sell the parrot. Just agree to become a streamer on our platform, and on top of the revenue split, I’ll give you a twenty-million-yuan signing bonus right now."

"Come to our platform! We’ll do an eighty-twenty split—you get eighty percent, we get twenty! And a thirty-million signing bonus!" Yet another platform owner popped up. The various bosses and wealthy viewers began arguing directly in Wu Qingchen’s stream, turning the broadcast into a chaotic auction house.