Future Pet Shop

Chapter 67: The Draft Assembly Opens

Since Monday, Shen Yibin’s shop had been constantly packed with opportunistic visitors, which annoyed him to no end. He was finally forced to post a notice on the door stating that the shop only welcomed customers who genuinely wanted to buy a pet. He also declared that any customer who visited the shop and then entered the talent show would be unceremoniously disqualified. Only then did the pet shop return to its former peace and quiet.

"Hah’Er, look what I brought for you! Bamboo-flavored cookies, do you like them? And Cheeky, these are some dried figs I picked up on the way." Not long after getting off work, Qiao Wenqi and Mo Xiaomo arrived at Shen Yibin’s shop and gave Hah’Er and Cheeky their gifts.

’Where on earth did you find cookies with such a bizarre flavor?’ Shen Yibin couldn’t help but admire the ingenuity of online store owners. ’You really can buy anything on the internet.’

"Hey, did you two not get me anything?" After Hah’Er and Cheeky took their gifts, Shen Yibin waited for a long while, but the two women made no further moves. He couldn’t help but feel dejected. ’What is the world coming to? I’m less important than the pets.’

’Then again, to be fair, Hah’Er is a first-class state-protected animal, and Cheeky is an internet celebrity... no, a celebrity *bird*. I’m a nobody. It’s only natural that everyone ignores me.’

"Well, for one, I came to see Hah’Er and Cheeky. And for two, I’ve been eating out all the time lately and I’m sick of it, so I wanted to have some of your home cooking. What’s the matter? Two beautiful women are giving you this opportunity, and you’re still not satisfied?" Mo Xiaomo said, plopping down across from him with a carefree air.

’You’re certainly direct, aren’t you?’ Shen Yibin was at a loss for words. ’Making your freeloading of food, drinks, and pet-cuddling sound so righteous.’

"We had that one meal at your place the other day, and Momo went on about it for two days straight. I didn’t have to work overtime today, so we thought we’d come bother you again. I bought some meat and vegetables. See if you need anything else?" Qiao Wenqi was much more dependable than Mo Xiaomo. As she spoke, she pulled out several large bags filled with things Hah’Er loved, like bamboo shoots and lamb.

"This is perfect. It saves me a trip to the market." They were all old classmates, so mooching a meal was no big deal. "Hah’Er, come on. Let’s go upstairs and cook."

"Hmph!" Hah’Er slid off the sofa, took the groceries from Qiao Wenqi, and even nodded his thanks. He then followed Shen Yibin up to the second floor. Cheeky, meanwhile, stayed downstairs to entertain the two women. Shen Yibin didn’t know what Cheeky was saying, but a continuous stream of soft laughter drifted up from downstairs, making him feel a pang of envy. ’If only I had that kind of skill.’

Washing and chopping the vegetables, stir-frying them in the wok... in no time at all, four dishes and a soup were ready. Without waiting for Shen Yibin’s instructions, Hah’Er hopped down from his chair, trotted his short legs over to the top of the stairs, and waved at the women below, beckoning them to come up.

"Ah, the unmistakable aroma of Greek olive oil, Italian balsamic vinegar, and Mozzarella cheese," Cheeky said, taking a blissful sniff as he landed on the table. "I can finally have a proper fig salad!"

Qiao Wenqi and Mo Xiaomo had bought these ingredients specially for Cheeky. Judging by his grateful expression, if the two of them had possessed even an ounce of musical talent, he might have just decided to go home with them.

"Hah’Er, let me pour you a drink." The moment Hah’Er put his personal bowl on the table, Mo Xiaomo eagerly filled it up. The two women had even come prepared with beer.

"Bin, are you really going to sell Cheeky? I can’t believe you’re willing to part with him." While they ate, the conversation turned to the talent show that was currently all the rage.

"I’m not that into music, so it’s not really fair for Cheeky to stay with me." Though he said that, Shen Yibin’s heart was filled with reluctance. ’Sigh... I just hope he finds an owner who will treat him well.’

"Anyway, let’s not talk about that." Qiao Wenqi changed the subject, probably sensing the conversation had turned a bit melancholic. "Hey Bin, you should be able to get inside-access tickets for the talent show, right? The tickets for the first show went on sale today and were sold out in less than five minutes. We couldn’t get any. Do you think you could help us get a few?"

"Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll ask the organizers for some extra front-row seats. We can invite Xu Ye and the others too." Shen Yibin thought for a moment, came up with a number, and sent a quick message to Li Yinchen. He secured the tickets easily. "Just come by after work tomorrow to pick them up."

"Thanks so much." Qiao Wenqi didn’t offer to pay; it would have made things awkward between old friends.

"Hmph!" By now, Hah’Er had finished his first bowl of beer and was holding his bowl out to Mo Xiaomo. He’d gotten smarter, knowing Shen Yibin definitely wouldn’t give him a second serving, so he switched his target.

Sure enough, Mo Xiaomo was completely taken in by his adorable expression. Forgetting Shen Yibin’s earlier warning, she instinctively poured him another bowl. By the time Shen Yibin noticed, Hah’Er was clutching the bowl tightly with both paws, terrified someone would snatch it away.

"Sigh, I give up on you." ’I didn’t give him any beer at noon, so two bowls tonight should be fine, right?’ Seeing Hah’Er’s pitiful expression, Shen Yibin didn’t have the heart to be strict. "Fine, drink up. But you can’t have any more after this bowl is finished. Otherwise, no beer for the next three days."

"Hmph! Hmph!" Hah’Er nodded eagerly, a silly grin on his face as he resumed sipping his beer.

"I saw online that they make a kind of bamboo juice beer now. If you’re good, I’ll buy some for you tomorrow." Qiao Wenqi and Mo Xiaomo weren’t the only ones who browsed the web for strange and wonderful things. Whenever Shen Yibin had a spare moment, he also scoured various websites for food and drinks that Cheeky and Hah’Er might enjoy.

This bamboo juice beer was one such accidental discovery. It was brewed by adding five percent bamboo juice during fermentation. The resulting beer was said to have the fresh fragrance of bamboo and a very crisp taste. Hah’Er would probably love it.

After dinner, Qiao Wenqi and Mo Xiaomo helped clean up before saying their goodbyes. Early the next morning, Li Yinchen personally delivered the tickets for the talent show. Meanwhile, the online promotion for the event grew more elaborate by the day. The number of applicants skyrocketed, and regional auditions had already begun. Hotels big and small across Yunzhong City were booked solid, packed with contestants and spectators who had come for the show.

After an anxious wait, the new week finally arrived. On Monday evening, Shen Yibin fed Cheeky and Hah’Er an early dinner before getting into the private car Li Yinchen had sent for him. The car navigated through the dense crowds and entered the Yunzhong City Indoor Stadium, which was already filled with more than ten thousand spectators.

The contestants, who had made it here only after passing through multiple grueling rounds of selection, were all ready and waiting. All that remained was to see who would be the final lucky winner to take the amazing parrot, Cheeky, home with them.