Future Pet Shop

Chapter 72: Recruiting an Employee

"Hah’Er, you do realize you just let a small brewery slip through our fingers, right?" Shen Yibin said, putting down the phone and rubbing Hah’Er’s head. Truth be told, he was a little disappointed. But of course, Shen Yibin would never force Hah’Er to do something it didn’t want to, so he was just venting.

"Hmm~" Hah’Er patted its belly innocently and gave Shen Yibin a pitiful look. It was almost lunchtime again.

"Sigh. Anyway, business is picking up, and I can afford to keep you. If we don’t shoot a commercial, we don’t shoot a commercial!" Shen Yibin stood up. "Come on, let’s go buy groceries. What do you feel like eating for lunch?"

Hah’Er slid off the sofa and grabbed Shen Yibin’s hand. Cheeky flew onto his shoulder, and the trio headed out to the neighboring produce store to buy ingredients, not even bothering to close the door.

"Bin, can you still get tickets? Sell me two, will you?" It seemed the talent show was a huge hit; even the shopkeeper, a man in his forties, had taken a keen interest.

"I’ll ask the organizers and see if they have any extra." ’We’re neighbors who see each other every day, and it’s not like he’s asking for a handout. I should help if I can.’

"I knew I could count on you, Bin! You’re a stand-up guy." The shopkeeper gave him a thumbs-up, then turned and rummaged through the small storeroom in the back, pulling out a box. "These are fresh bamboo shoots I picked out myself this morning. See if Hah’Er likes them?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Hah’Er opened the box, picked up a bamboo shoot with its paw, and gave it a sniff. Apparently very satisfied with the quality of this batch, it quickly scooped all the bamboo shoots into its arms.

’Alright then, stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots it is for lunch.’ He bought a few pieces of high-quality fresh pork, then led the two of them back to the shop. There were still plenty of the Amazonian fruits Cheeky loved in the fridge.

"After lunch, you two get some rest. I can watch the shop by myself. We’ve got a busy night ahead of us." Judging from the previous night, the talent show was a lot of work, and Shen Yibin was worried about wearing his two companions out.

"Hmm~" Hah’Er seemed reluctant.

"Fine. I feel the need to protect my voice. Just call me when it’s time to go to the KTV." Cheeky stretched its beak over for Shen Yibin to wipe it clean, then wobbled back to the bedroom in flight.

"Be good and take a nap. I’ll wake you up in a bit." In the end, Hah’Er insisted on helping Shen Yibin clear the dishes and wipe the table before finally returning to the bedroom and climbing onto its little bed.

’Sigh, it’s kind of boring without these two around.’ Shen Yibin went downstairs, reopened the shop, and sat on the sofa to wait for customers.

Perhaps because of the talent show, the shop’s reputation in Yunzhong City was gradually growing. Many people were making special trips to select pets, thinking, ’If the owner can raise such a magical parrot and such an adorable panda, the other pets in the shop must have something special about them, right?’

While the other pets in the store weren’t from the Future Pet Shop and lacked the magical abilities of Cheeky and Hah’Er, Shen Yibin had hand-picked each one from Bao’s breeding farm. Whenever he ran low, he just had to call Bao for a delivery. As a result, they were far healthier and more intelligent than the animals in an average pet shop.

So, even though these customers didn’t find the magical pets they were hoping for, the animals—some cute, some clever, some adorably dopey—still won them over. Sales at Shen Yibin’s shop began to climb once more.

"Thank you for your business! Take care. If you have any questions down the line, feel free to call me anytime. And if you ever go on a business trip or can’t look after your pet for any reason, you can board it here for a few days. I promise I’ll take great care of it." After closing another sale, Shen Yibin enthusiastically walked the customer out.

"I can’t keep this up. I just can’t. Good business brings its own set of problems, huh?" This was already the fifth sale of the afternoon. Since coming downstairs, Shen Yibin had barely had a moment’s rest. His throat was dry from introducing the pets, and his back and legs ached from walking around with customers. ’Maybe it’s time I hired a new employee?’

Now that Hah’Er’s identity issue was resolved, he no longer had to worry about people seeing the panda. Besides, he was getting too busy to handle everything by himself, and his current income was more than enough to cover the expense of another employee. Thus, the matter was put on the agenda.

So, what kind of employee should he hire? A glance at the clock showed it was almost time to take Cheeky to the KTV. Shen Yibin decided to close up early, pulling down the rolling metal door and collapsing onto the sofa to think it over.

’I should find a cute girl with a great figure, long legs, a pretty face... someone gentle and obedient...’ Shen Yibin’s imagination ran wild. ’But that’s just a fantasy. A girl like that wouldn’t be willing to work for such little pay.’

’They must love pets, and they need a lively, cheerful personality to be good at introducing them to customers.’ Shen Yibin quickly snapped out of his fantasy and started seriously considering the actual requirements for the job. ’They also need to...’

He soon had a list of requirements. After composing a message, Shen Yibin posted it to his social media feed: "Now hiring one employee for the pet shop. Requirements: Must love pets, have a cheerful and outgoing personality, age 20-30. Base salary of 2,000 plus sales commission. Five-day work week (two weekdays off, weekends mandatory). Interested parties, please come to the shop for an in-person interview."

’Okay, I’ll post it on my socials first and see if anyone can recommend someone suitable. I’ll also print out a notice to put on the shop’s door. If that doesn’t work, I’ll consider using a job-hunting website.’

"Bin, you’re hiring? How about me?" Not long after he posted it, Mo Xiaomo sent him a message.

"Come on, don’t mess with me. You’re a high-flying professional. You wouldn’t even look twice at this kind of pocket money, would you?" Shen Yibin felt a headache coming on. Mo Xiaomo had a great job with an income far exceeding the Yunzhong City average; she was clearly joking.

"Okay, I’ll stop teasing. I have a distant relative who just moved here from out of town. She’s still looking for a job. How about I have her come by your place to try out?" Mo Xiaomo said.

"Sure, have her come over tomorrow. If she’s a good fit, she’s hired," Shen Yibin agreed without hesitation.

「Meanwhile, on the other side of Yunzhong City」

Someone else was also discussing a job. "Miss Sun, your performance was outstanding. Our establishment would be delighted to have you as a resident singer. I’m afraid we can’t offer a high salary, though. It would be two hundred for one set per night, plus you’d get a cut of any flowers and gifts from the audience. What do you say?"

"Okay, that’s no problem." Sun Qian was mainly looking for an opportunity to work on her stage presence, so she wasn’t too concerned about the pay. Besides, the rate was standard for the market, so she accepted on the spot.

’This probably won’t be enough to cover my expenses. Looks like I’ll need to find another job.’ Sun Qian thought to herself as she left the bar after signing the contract.