Future Pet Shop

Chapter 90: Cheeky Belongs to Someone Else

"Take a look. Business is pretty good right now." Shen Yibin handed the shop’s monthly revenue statement directly to Sun Qian. "Last month, my shop’s revenue was nearly 300,000. Based on that, it won’t take you long to earn back the salary I’m advancing you. After that, whether you want to continue working here or resign is completely up to you."

Although the thirty million-plus from the talent show had ultimately flown the coop, business at Shen Yibin’s shop had boomed. Even with him closing intermittently, he had still brought in 300,000 in revenue last month, with profits reaching nearly 50,000. Shen Yibin had even started paying back the money he borrowed to open the shop.

"But... but I’ve never done this kind of work before. And... and I have to perform at the bar at night. That’s a job I can’t give up, no matter what." Sun Qian was hesitant. It wasn’t an issue with the pay, but rather the fact that this job had nothing to do with her path in music.

"Our shop closes around dinnertime, so it won’t affect your performance." The bar’s prime business hours didn’t start until after nine, by which time the pet shop would have long since closed. "Besides, when there aren’t many customers, you can practice in the shop. With Cheeky here to keep you company, you’ll be more efficient, right?"

’Please, just agree to it! If we wait any longer, I’m going to end up in jail!’ Shen Yibin felt his heart sink. It used to be others begging to buy Cheeky from him, and now here he was, begging someone else. The difference was like night and day, and it was a little hard to accept.

Sun Qian looked at Cheeky, then back at Shen Yibin. She really did want to buy Cheeky as soon as possible, and Shen Yibin seemed rather honest, not like some sort of bad guy. ’Maybe I should agree?’

"So... do we sign a contract?" Sun Qian asked after a moment of hesitation. "Also, I really have never done this kind of work before."

"Yes, a formal labor contract, with social insurance and a housing fund. There’s also training after you start, so I guarantee you’ll get the hang of it quickly." ’Hmm, I can have Hah’Er teach her how to feed the pets and have Cheeky teach her how to make a sale.’ As expected of a veteran single guy, Shen Yibin didn’t even think of using this opportunity to get closer to her.

Pursuing a path in music required a significant investment. Buying and maintaining instruments, recording demos, taking care of her voice, hiring tutors for guidance, traveling to other cities for music festivals, and so on—it all cost money. The money Sun Qian currently earned from her regular gig at the bar and from part-time jobs during the day was only enough for her basic living expenses.

This job, on the other hand, seemed to pay well, and it would let her get Cheeky sooner. Sun Qian was tempted. She bit her lip, wrestling with the decision.

"A customer’s here. I’ll go greet them. Please, take your time to think it over." Shen Yibin knew it wasn’t good to be too pushy, so he used the opportunity to greet the customer to give her some quiet space.

"Hello, welcome! What kind of pet are you looking for today?" Shen Yibin walked over enthusiastically. Hah’Er followed him to act cute for the customer, leaving only Sun Qian and Cheeky staring blankly on the sofa.

Half an hour later, he had sold a husky. Today’s food and utility expenses were now covered. After seeing the customer out, Shen Yibin returned to the sofa.

"I’ve made my decision." Sun Qian spoke up before he could. "Since you don’t mind my lack of experience and are offering such generous terms, I won’t decline. I’m willing to come work here."

"Great. Let me just explain a few things. You’ll get two days off per week, but you can’t take off Saturday or Sunday, because weekends are our busiest time. You can choose any two days to take off between Monday and Friday. It’s the same for public holidays—you can take the day off later. If something urgent comes up and you need to take leave, you won’t be docked pay; you just have to make up the hours later." Shen Yibin went on to explain the store’s benefits. "And you can have all three meals here at the shop. I’ll cook for you."

This would save her a considerable amount of money. Sun Qian didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment and wasn’t planning on getting one anytime soon, so it didn’t matter to her when she took her days off. However, there was one problem: music festivals and similar events were always held on public holidays. There was a small conflict there, so she brought up the issue.

"Okay, once or twice is no problem." Shen Yibin generously made a concession, allowing Sun Qian to take leave for those occasions. "Any other questions?"

"No more questions. I’ll look over the contract, and if there are no problems, I can sign it. I don’t have a day job right now, so I can start today," Sun Qian said, shaking her head.

"Great, I’ll go print the contract for you right now." The contract was a standard template, so there wouldn’t be any issues. He immediately printed it out and gave it to Sun Qian. She didn’t find any loopholes either and signed her name on it.

"Welcome to the shop. I look forward to working with you." After signing the contract and making a copy of her ID, the onboarding process was quickly completed. Shen Yibin shook Sun Qian’s delicate hand in welcome. ’Worthy of a pianist,’ he thought. ’Her fingers are slender and long. Such a pleasant handshake.’

"Alright, how much of a salary advance do you need?" ’Now that she’s agreed, she should buy Cheeky right away. I need to get this over with quickly. If I drag this out, who knows what other problems might pop up? To avoid any new complications, I should just sell Cheeky today!’

"I have 26,000 right now, so I’ll just need an advance of 13,000." Sun Qian was a little embarrassed, asking for a salary advance when the ink on her contract was barely dry.

"You should probably keep some spending money on you, right? How about I advance you 15,000? That’s exactly six months of your base salary. As long as you do a good job, you’ll earn it back in a month or two." Shen Yibin currently had 16,000 in his bank account and a few thousand in cash in the register, so his daily expenses weren’t a problem.

"I’ll write you an IOU." Sun Qian didn’t refuse; she really did need some cash on hand. She quickly scribbled out the note, and Shen Yibin transferred the money to her via WeChat.

The money had barely warmed her account before it was time to hand it over to the Future Pet Shop. He requested a payment QR code on WeChat and forwarded it to Sun Qian. She transferred 38,384.38 to the Future Pet Shop, and the deal was done. Cheeky finally had a proper owner.

’Sigh, from now on, Cheeky belongs to someone else. To be honest, I’m actually a little sad to see him go. But it’s fine. At least for the next month or two, the little guy will still be staying here at my pet shop, so we don’t have to say goodbye just yet.’