Future Pet Shop

Chapter 96: Professor Wu, You’re Going to Drive Too?

"Hmm? Hmmm~" Hah’Er looked at the female pandas in the playground, then back at Shen Yibin and Professor Wu Gui watching from outside. He shook his big head like a pinwheel, absolutely refusing to run around naked in public.

’You’re not even going to seize such a golden opportunity? Do you have any idea how jealous we get when we see those European and American nude beaches online? You totally deserve to still be a single dog!’

"Bin, try persuading him again. We have to hurry." Professor Wu Gui was getting anxious. This window only opens for a few days each year; they couldn’t afford to miss it.

"How about this? We’ll leave right now and won’t watch you from outside. We’ll leave you to play with them. How does that sound?" Shen Yibin pointed to Professor Wu Gui and himself, then to the pandas on the slide, the swing set, and the lawn. He figured Hah’Er wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of the other pandas. The key reason he wouldn’t take off his clothes was because they were standing there watching.

Hah’Er scratched his head, seeming to hesitate. He raised his head as if he wanted to say something but was too shy to speak up. In the end, he could only look at Shen Yibin and flash an adorable, silly grin.

"Professor Wu Gui, let’s go. Hah’Er’s a little shy. I think he’ll be fine once we leave." Shen Yibin gave Professor Wu Gui a meaningful look. He had already spotted the many hidden cameras in the corners of the playground. If they wanted to continue observing and collecting data, they could just go to the control room. It wasn’t like they had to be here.

"Good, good, good! We’ll leave right now." Professor Wu Gui understood Shen Yibin’s meaning. He led his assistants and students away, even helping to cover the glass wall on their way out.

"I’m leaving too. I’ll come get you at dinnertime." ’Sigh, looks like Hah’Er will have to munch on bamboo with these ladies today.’ After all, if Professor Wu Gui saw Hah’Er eating twice-cooked pork and got the sudden idea to feed some to the other pandas at the base, it would cause a huge disaster. Shen Yibin absolutely could not bear that responsibility.

"Bin, we’ve used all the funds your friend donated last time to purchase new laboratory equipment and improve the pandas’ living environment. I have a detailed list of expenditures right here. I was originally going to mail it to you, but since you’re here now, you can just take it back to your friend," Professor Wu Gui chatted with Shen Yibin as they walked.

’The Giant Panda Base is pretty official about handling donations.’ Shen Yibin was thoroughly impressed. "Okay, I’ll pass it on to my friend."

"Yes, and to commend his actions, the base has decided to grant him the naming rights for a few pandas. You can give your friend a call later to discuss what names he’d like to give them." A donation of over 35 million was too generous to be acknowledged with just an expense report, but the donor refused to show himself, so this was the best Professor Wu could do.

’That’s not a bad idea. But what names should he pick?’ Luckily, he didn’t have to decide right away. Shen Yibin suddenly remembered something and asked, "Oh, right, Professor Wu Gui, do all the pandas in the playground already have names?"

"For now, we’ve given them temporary names, but if your friend takes a liking to one and wants to name it, that’s not a problem either." ’The man donated such a large sum of money; fulfilling such a small wish is the least we can do.’

’Alright then, we’ll name whichever one Hah’Er manages to bowl over!’ Shen Yibin made his decision. ’Hey, does that count as making it official?’ He nodded in agreement and let his thoughts run wild.

As they talked, the group arrived at the control room. Through the large screen in the center of the room, they could see everything happening in the playground with perfect clarity. The sight immediately made Shen Yibin chuckle. In just that short time, Hah’Er had impatiently stripped himself bare and was once again pouncing toward the female pandas.

This time, the female pandas didn’t reject the rascal. Instead, they cautiously accepted him into their circle, allowing Hah’Er to play with them, but they still maintained a hint of vigilance and wouldn’t get too intimate with him.

"There’s progress, as expected. But Professor Wu Gui, look—Hah’Er seems completely absorbed in playing. He doesn’t seem very interested in getting close to the other pandas," a female student wearing glasses said.

"It does seem that way." Professor Wu frowned. On the big screen, Hah’Er was gleefully climbing to the top of the slide, then sliding down with excited WHOOPS. After reaching the bottom, he didn’t even bother to brush off the grass clippings before eagerly scrambling back to the top, ready for another go.

’Damn it, this is a blind date, and you’re treating it like an amusement park? You deserve to be a single dog... oh, wait, a single bear!’ Shen Yibin was speechless. He’d forgotten that he had a similar reaction in similar situations. When he went singing with Qiao Wenqi and her friends, he really just sang. When he went on an outing with Officer Bai, his mind was genuinely set on just having an outing. He never thought of using those opportunities to get closer. ’Like owner, like bear, I guess.’

"Let’s observe for a while longer. Maybe he’s just a bit shy since they’ve only just met?" Professor Wu Gui guessed, then sat down in a chair to continue observing Hah’Er’s movements.

They sat there from noon until afternoon, watching Hah’Er run from the slide to the swing set. He clambered up and down the wooden frame, having the time of his life. But he made no progress in his relationship with the female pandas. At times, he even shoved one of them aside with his butt to fight over a piece of playground equipment.

’Sigh, how are you ever going to win a girl over like that? Shouldn’t you be grabbing some apples from the side, giving them to the female pandas, and then playing together?’ Even Shen Yibin, with his limited experience, couldn’t help but look down on Hah’Er.

"Hah’Er’s estrus cycle is not far off now. If he keeps acting like this, we’re going to have a problem," Professor Wu Gui said, stroking his chin in frustration.

"Professor Wu Gui, how about we show Hah’Er some educational films tonight?" the girl with the glasses said with a perfectly straight face.

’Educational films? Does that mean what I think it means? I can’t believe this girl looks so innocent, but she’s such an old pro! Ready to get down to business at the drop of a hat, huh?’

"It seems that’s the only thing we can try for now." Professor Wu Gui nodded and immediately made arrangements. "Find some higher-quality films, and we’ll show them to Hah’Er tonight." ’Looks like the base’s computers have quite a collection of educational films.’

’Pfft, Professor Wu, you’re an old pro too? Are you really planning to give Hah’Er the full course?’

The sky gradually darkened. The keepers began to feed the pandas, and Hah’Er ate along with them. After they finished eating, Professor Wu Gui brought Shen Yibin back to the outside of the playground, planning to pick Hah’Er up.