Future Pet Shop

Chapter 98: A Tragedy Caused by an Apple

"Hah’Er, what’s wrong with your eyes? Why are they so red?" Shen Yibin had no idea if the panda hadn’t slept well or had just gotten too excited watching the "instructional videos" last night, but his eyes were completely bloodshot. It scared the crap out of Shen Yibin. ’If Professor Wu Gui and the staff at the Giant Panda Base see this, they’ll kill me!’

Fortunately, after Hah’Er washed up and finished breakfast, his eyes looked much better. It seemed to be a temporary issue that would probably clear up on its own.

"Come on, I’m taking you out today. Do you miss those panda ladies you were playing with yesterday?" Shen Yibin teased.

After a night of diligent studying, Hah’Er seemed to have figured a few things out. He was no longer as clueless as he had been yesterday. At the mention of the pandas, he grew visibly excited, clearly looking forward to seeing the ladies again.

When they got downstairs, Professor Wu Gui was already waiting with a group of people. The moment he saw Shen Yibin, he shot him a worried, questioning look. Shen Yibin gave him an "OK" sign to show that everything was under control. A smile immediately blossomed on Professor Wu Gui’s face. ’This is great,’ he thought. ’Looks like the base will have some new cubs soon.’

"Come on. We’re trying a different location today—we found a bamboo grove. Hah’Er grew up in the wild, so perhaps he’ll act more naturally in that kind of environment," Professor Wu Gui said, leading them out of the hotel.

’Grew up in the wild, my ass!’ Shen Yibin thought. ’This fella is probably a product of a breeding center, too.’ He was once again filled with awe at the power of the Future Pet Shop. ’The memory transplant was just too perfect. Professor Wu Gui still thinks it’s real.’

A few electric carts were already waiting outside the hotel. Shen Yibin helped Hah’Er into one, and the cart started off, heading slowly toward the bamboo grove.

The scenery inside the Giant Panda Base was gorgeous, without a single trace of pollution in the air. It was clear the country had spared no expense for these adorable roly-polies.

They followed a path shaded by lush trees and soon arrived at the day’s designated location: a bamboo grove enclosed by a wooden fence. A small group of roly-polies was already inside, frolicking, climbing trees, and chewing on bamboo.

"Hah’Er, go on in and play with them. I’ll come get you in a little while." Just like the day before, to prevent Hah’Er from getting shy and refusing to take off his clothes, Shen Yibin escorted him into the bamboo grove before leaving with Professor Wu Gui and the others for the monitoring room to observe.

The moment Hah’Er saw their electric cart disappear into the trees, he impatiently ripped off his clothes and ran toward the roly-poly ladies. He was in such a rush that he couldn’t even get his top off properly and ended up tearing a large hole in it.

"Heh heh. Bin, it looks like our plan to have Hah’Er learn from those videos last night is paying off." Seeing Hah’Er’s focus shift from the playground equipment to the roly-poly ladies, Professor Wu Gui grew excited.

’Seriously, you’re a professor, for crying out loud. Is it really okay to talk about watching ’videos’ in front of all these people?’ Shen Yibin thought. But looking around, the men and women in the monitoring room, young and old alike, were just as excited as Professor Wu. They stared, unblinking, at Hah’Er, who was now playfully roughhousing with one of the female pandas. Shen Yibin was at a loss for words.

"Hah’Er is integrating with the group very quickly. It looks like they’re gradually starting to accept him. We might even see them begin the breeding process tomorrow!" the girl with glasses said happily, her eyes filled with delight.

’Hold on, you guys aren’t actually planning to watch a live stream of Hah’Er doing it tomorrow, are you? Have you no shame?!’ Shen Yibin was rendered completely speechless by these single-minded scientists.

’Then again... should I watch?’ Shen Yibin found himself in a new dilemma. ’If I watch, it feels like I’d be letting Hah’Er down... but it seems like a waste not to watch.’

’What the hell, Hah’Er, really?’ Shen Yibin watched, dumbfounded. ’You just finished flirting with one roly-poly lady, and now you’re off showering another one with affection. I never thought a guy with your thick brows and beady eyes would be such a playboy! Well, I have to see which one you’ll make a move on tomorrow.’ And just like that, Shen Yibin had found his excuse.

Before Shen Yibin could even finish his silent rant, Hah’Er was on the move again. He went into the grove, gathered a handful of fresh bamboo leaves, rolled them together, and presented them to a *third* female panda. This one hesitated for a moment before taking the roll of leaves and starting to gnaw on it. She looked especially happy as she ate.

’He already knows how to use tasty treats to win over the ladies. Hah’Er, do you have to level up so fast? Teach me your ways, master! I want to be as smooth with the ladies as Hah’Er is!’ Shen Yibin couldn’t help but envy the fella’s natural talent.

In the monitoring room, Professor Wu Gui, his assistants, and his students were letting out constant cries of excitement. The girl with glasses was especially animated. "Professor Wu, based on what we’re seeing, the probability of a successful breeding session tomorrow is very high! And according to yesterday’s test results, Hah’Er is in excellent health. He can definitely manage more than one session, and the resulting cubs will be healthier than others, with a much higher chance of survival..."

She then launched into a string of technical jargon that made Shen Yibin’s head spin. ’Hey, lady, are you always this frank?’ he thought. ’Tossing around the phrase ’breeding session’ so casually... Aren’t you afraid of scaring off your boyfriend?’

"Hah’Er’s dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow will need to be specially prepared. The venue, temperature, humidity—every detail must be perfect. We have to ensure this breeding session goes smoothly," Professor Wu Gui added.

’If an ancient emperor only had three days a year to get laid, the preparations made by his eunuchs and palace maids probably wouldn’t be much more thorough than this,’ Shen Yibin mused, observing their ridiculously meticulous arrangements.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Hah’Er. It looked like this group wouldn’t be satisfied until they had squeezed him completely dry.

That evening, a special dinner was prepared for Hah’Er, and a new batch of "instructional videos" was copied onto Shen Yibin’s tablet. The next morning’s breakfast was also specially prepared and delivered to their hotel room. Something seemed to have been added to the food, as Hah’Er was even more excited than the day before.

Hah’Er was soon moved to the designated location for the breeding session. The group then quickly departed and crowded into the monitoring room. They had prepared an apple for Hah’Er; according to plan, he would use the apple to win over the female panda, and then he could smoothly seal the deal.

"Yes, the female is repeatedly lifting her tail. That’s a sign of high arousal. Hah’Er just needs to give it one more push!" Professor Wu Gui said excitedly.

However, just then, the unexpected happened. In his excitement, the apple slipped from Hah’Er’s paws. The female panda immediately ditched him and chased after it.