Future Pet Shop

Chapter 79: The Increasingly Bustling Talent Show

"Uh, Officer, is there a problem?" Shen Yibin obediently stopped the car, ready to cooperate with the investigation. He already had a pretty good idea of why they’d stopped him.

"Captain, there really is a panda!" An officer spotted Hah’Er in the back seat through the window. Hah’Er, not understanding what was happening, gave the officer a goofy wave. It mistook the police for Bai Yanni’s colleagues. The officer waved back instinctively before realizing something was off, then nervously tried to put some distance between Shen Yibin, Bai Yanni, and Hah’Er.

"Which precinct are you from? I’m an officer, too. This is Mr. Shen, and he has a legal permit to raise the panda." Bai Yanni rolled her eyes. ’I knew this would happen,’ she muttered under her breath, then pulled out her own credentials and handed them over.

"Oh, so you’re Mr. Shen? Could I see your ID, please?" News about Shen Yibin had already spread throughout the Yunzhong City police system, and the recent talent show had made his face increasingly familiar to the public. It seemed this was all just a false alarm. Still, out of an abundance of caution, the officer asked to see his identification.

"I’m sorry for the trouble. We were just responding to a report. I hope you understand." After verifying the documents, the officer quickly saluted in apology and let them go.

"Don’t worry," Bai Yanni said reassuringly. "After this, pictures of you and Hah’Er will probably get passed around the internal police network in Yunzhong City. You shouldn’t have this problem again."

Back in the city, Bai Yanni had plans to watch the talent show that night, so she decided to go back to the shop with Shen Yibin. They had dinner together, and afterward, she hitched a ride with him to the venue.

Their relationship seemed to grow closer after that. Whenever Bai Yanni was on leave, Shen Yibin would invite her, Cheeky, and Hah’Er on an outing to the countryside. After two such trips, the talent show was already halfway through its run. The organizers were both pleased and a bit disappointed that not a single contestant had managed to win Cheeky’s approval.

"All the good contestants we have have already taken the stage," Li Yinchen said, voicing his concerns at a regular meeting. "If this keeps up, we might not find a suitable candidate by the time the competition ends."

"What’s there to worry about?" said a shareholder wearing black-framed glasses. "Just get Shen Yibin to renew the contract. The ratings are getting higher every day. I, for one, wish this show could go on forever."

"I’m afraid that won’t work," Li Yinchen said, shaking his head. "I’ve brought it up with Mr. Shen a few times, and he doesn’t seem interested in renewing. It’s not about the money, either. I’ve already improved the offer twice, but Mr. Shen hasn’t shown any sign of changing his mind."

"Yin Cheng," another shareholder began, voicing his doubts, "do you think it’s possible he never intended to sell the parrot at all? We’ve had several contestants who, in my opinion, were perfectly qualified. Why hasn’t anyone earned the right to buy it? He isn’t just using us for publicity, is he?"

"That doesn’t seem to be the case. From what I’ve seen, Mr. Shen seems very eager to sell Cheeky as soon as possible." Li Yinchen couldn’t make sense of it either. ’If I had a cash-cow parrot like that, there’s no way I’d be willing to give it to someone else.’ "Besides," he added, "every rejection has been Cheeky’s decision. Mr. Shen hasn’t interfered."

"So you’re saying it’s because our contestants still haven’t met their standards? But these are the best people we could find!" The shareholder with the black-framed glasses felt a headache coming on.

"Our best bet now is a two-pronged approach," Li Yinchen proposed. "First, I’ll continue trying to persuade Mr. Shen to renew the contract, though based on our interactions so far, the chances of success are slim. Second, we need to find more suitable contestants. Even if we can’t extend the show’s run, just acquiring Cheeky would be a victory."

"In that case, our only option would be to collaborate with other companies and bring in some celebrity singers with better vocal talent," the shareholder with the black-framed glasses added. "Or maybe invite some master instrumentalists from the major music conservatories? Of course, that’s a last resort. We shouldn’t play that card unless we absolutely have to."

The reluctance to invite master instrumentalists first was a purely financial decision. After all, even world-famous virtuosos like Lang Lang and Li Yundi earned far less than pop stars, and the potential profits the organizers could reap from them were correspondingly smaller. That was the reason for this stipulation.

"Alright, let’s discuss potential candidates. We should focus on singers who are vocally talented but, for whatever reason, have never made it big. As for instrumentalists, let’s prioritize more commercially viable instruments, like the piano." The shareholders quickly reached an agreement and began delegating tasks.

Of course, Li Yinchen kept pestering Shen Yibin, hoping he would either extend the contract or sell Cheeky to them outright. However, Shen Yibin couldn’t agree to either of those things.

"Breaking news! Pop star Li Li, who just released a new album, was spotted at the Yunzhong City airport! According to an inside source, she’s here to compete in the talent show!"

"Renowned singer Li Xiaotian is confirmed to be joining the talent show. He will compete against singers like Xu Zhixiang and Yu Ziqi next week."

A stream of news, some true and some not, was released to the public, adding fuel to the already red-hot talent show. Online viewership soared, and prices for scalped tickets for the live event skyrocketed. Countless fans flocked in from all over the country, packing every hotel and inn in Yunzhong City.

Some of these people came to hear their idols sing, while others came just to see Cheeky in the flesh. Speaking in a medley of different accents, they gathered at the stadium entrance to haggle with scalpers, all hoping to secure a ticket inside.

The lucky few who made it inside were not disappointed. From their idols’ songs to Cheeky’s razor-sharp critiques, they found the whole experience thrilling. Meanwhile, the organizers were secretly overjoyed at the climbing ratings and advertising revenue.

Among all the parties involved, Shen Yibin was likely the only one who wasn’t happy. The professional singers were indeed much better than the previous contestants, but their passion for music still fell short of Cheeky’s requirements.

He kept checking their stats on the Affinity Test app, only to be met with disappointment again and again. Even the highest-scoring singer, a woman, was still a full ten points shy of the passing score of 80. That wasn’t a gap that could be closed overnight.

’If we still can’t find a suitable owner next week, the talent show will probably end, and I’ll have to think of another way.’ Shen Yibin couldn’t help but start to feel anxious.