Future Pet Shop

Chapter 83: Donated All the Money

Shen Yibin picked up his phone again and opened his chat with the Future Pet Shop. "Um, is it okay if I donate this money in Cheeky’s name?" ’If I donate it, I won’t be able to spend it. Plus, it’s in Cheeky’s name, not mine, so I won’t even get any credit for it. This arrangement should satisfy the Future Pet Shop’s requirements.’

"Mhm, that’s fine. Who do you want to donate it to?" The Future Pet Shop was still a little wary; if Shen Yibin tried to donate it to his friends or family under the guise of helping the poor, it wouldn’t count.

"Let’s just donate it to the Sichuan Giant Panda Base. I might need their help in the future, you never know." ’Hah’Er is perfectly healthy right now, but if something were to happen down the line, they’re probably the only ones I could turn to for help. It’s always good to build a better relationship in advance. It’ll make things more convenient later.’

"No problem. I will continue to monitor your cash flow. If I discover any issues, you will face the consequences." With that final warning, the Future Pet Shop ended the conversation.

"Sigh... I was planning on taking you two out for a feast today, but I guess I’ll have to cook at home now." ’After we eat, I have to open the shop this afternoon. Damn it, without all that money, I’ll be back to worrying about rent, utilities, and my credit card bills.’

"Mhm!" At the mention of food, Hah’Er perked right up, apparently not the least bit upset about missing out on a feast.

"Hurry up and cook! I’m starving," Cheeky squawked, urging him on. ’My Amazon rainforest harem might be gone, but a guy’s gotta eat, right?’

"Hang on, let me make a quick call and ask about the process." Shen Yibin found Hah’Er’s identification papers, looked up Professor Wu Gui’s number for the Sichuan Giant Panda Base, and dialed.

The phone rang three times before it was answered. The voice of an elderly man with a Sichuan accent came through the receiver. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hello, Professor Wu? This is Shen Yibin from Yunzhong City. I’m not sure if you remember me?" Shen Yibin was slightly nervous. ’I hope the Future Pet Shop’s memory implant worked.’

"Oh, oh, yes, I remember! You’re the one who adopted Hah’Er, aren’t you?" ’Looks like the Future Pet Shop’s technology is top-notch,’ Shen Yibin thought. Professor Wu not only remembered him, but even Hah’Er’s name had been implanted into his memory. "How has Hah’Er been lately? Is he healthy? Eating well?"

"He’s doing great, really great. He eats his fill and sleeps like a log every day, and he’s full of energy, climbing mountains and trees and all that." ’Sigh,’ Shen Yibin thought, ’this guy is living a much more comfortable life than I am.’

"Haha, I saw him on TV as well. The little fella certainly looks to be in good spirits." Hearing that Hah’Er was doing well made Professor Wu Gui happy.

After a bit more small talk, Shen Yibin got to the point of his call. "So, I was wondering, what’s the procedure if someone wants to make a donation to the Giant Panda Base?"

"You want to donate, Bin? That’s easy. I’ll text you a link in a minute. Just click it, and it’ll take you to our base’s donation page. All you have to do is follow the instructions." Professor Wu Gui had no idea what a massive sum their base was about to receive, so he sounded quite casual.

"It’s not me donating, it’s a friend of mine." After asking a few more questions, Shen Yibin was about to end the call.

Professor Wu Gui, however, wanted to chat a little longer. "Bin, when you have some time, you should bring Hah’Er back to the base for a visit. We can give him a checkup while he’s here. Besides, he must get a little lonely all by himself in Yunzhong City. It’d be good for him to come and play with some friends."

"Okay, I’ll bring him over when I have some time." ’He has a point,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’Hah’Er hasn’t been around any other pandas yet. That’s kind of sad. Maybe after I sell Cheeky, Hah’Er and I can take a trip to Sichuan for a few days.’

"Mhm, try to make it soon. I expect Hah’Er’s mating season is fast approaching, and we have a group of female pandas here at the base waiting to be bred. A panda’s estrus cycle is very brief, and it would be a huge loss to miss it." From Professor Wu Gui’s perspective, Hah’Er was a rescued wild giant panda, from a different population than the ones raised at the base. Using him for breeding would help avoid the disadvantages of inbreeding and produce healthier cubs. This was a huge boon for the base.

’So they want to use Hah’Er as a stud bear?’ Shen Yibin had to fight to keep from laughing out loud. ’No wonder this guy looked so bashful earlier. His mating season must be starting.’

"No problem, absolutely. I’ll try to get there as soon as I can." After hanging up, Shen Yibin burst out laughing. "Hah’Er, let’s go! I’m taking you to Sichuan to score some ladies!"

"Good heavens! Even this dumb bear is getting some action! What about the lady parrots you promised me?" Seeing that Hah’Er was about to start a blissful life of carnal delights, while he himself was still a single dog—no, a single *bird*—Cheeky felt like he’d just taken 100,000 points of emotional damage.

"Mmm~" Hah’Er seemed to have overheard the phone call, because he bashfully scurried off to one side.

"Okay, I’ll make you two something special for lunch, and then I’ll go to the bank this afternoon and donate the money." By now, Shen Yibin had checked the webpage Professor Wu Gui sent over and figured out the donation process. Of course, a transaction of this magnitude couldn’t be done on a phone. He had to go to the bank.

’Sigh, the villa, rainforest, and bamboo grove I promised these two are gone. I’ll just have to make it up to them with a grand feast.’ So for lunch, Shen Yibin pulled out all the stops, preparing a table laden with delicious food. He let Cheeky and Hah’Er eat their fill and even relaxed his rules, pouring Hah’Er two bowls of beer.

While the two of them were taking their afternoon nap, Shen Yibin grabbed the check and the necessary documents and rushed to the bank. There, under the utterly astonished gazes of the bank staff, he donated the entire seventeen million to the Sichuan Giant Panda Base.

When he got back to the shop, before he could even go upstairs to wake Cheeky and Hah’Er, Professor Wu Gui called again. "Bin, that seventeen million just now... that wasn’t donated by your friend, was it?"

Professor Wu Gui had been expecting a five or six-figure donation at most, so he hadn’t thought much of it. But the message he just received from the accounting department left him flabbergasted. Seventeen million! ’This must be the largest private donation the Sichuan Giant Panda Base has received since it was established, right?’

"Yes, it was from that friend of mine." ’Seventeen million, gone just like that. My heart aches.’ "And that’s not the only payment. In a little while, there might be a second donation of about the same amount. I’ll call you after it’s been made."