Future Pet Shop

’Xia Shixuan and Carmen’s affinity didn’t meet the standard, perhaps because she rarely needed a guide. But Driver Han often competes in all sorts of races, so that’s no issue at all. Their affinity should be much better than Xia Shixuan’s, right?’

He thought so, but without opening the software to check, there was no way to be sure. Shen Yibin could only stall for a bit. "Come on, this is my place. Let’s go inside first. We can talk about this after dinner. Oh, right, Driver Han, I remember you’ve also released albums and written songs, haven’t you? I happen to have a singer-songwriter here. Why don’t you two have a chat?"

Shen Yibin led Driver Han and his group into the house, having Sun Qian and the others pour tea for them and give them a tour of the estate. He, meanwhile, returned to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. ’Hmm, Driver Han is from Shanghai, so I’ll make a few Shanghai-style dishes today. I learned a few tricks back in a Shanghai hotel; I wonder if he’ll be satisfied.’

Signature dishes like Braised River Eel and Sizzling Eel Paste were off the menu, as there wasn’t enough time to prepare the ingredients. However, there were still dishes like Braised Chicken with Chestnuts and Stir-fried Shrimp, which could be made with common ingredients. After busying himself in the kitchen for over an hour, Shen Yibin had whipped up a whole table full of delicacies.

"Whoa, Mr. Shen, your cooking skills are really something else! I’d say even some of the famous old restaurants in Shanghai probably aren’t much more authentic than this." Having been on the road competing for so long, it had been a long time since Driver Han had tasted authentic Shanghai cuisine. The sight of the Braised Chicken with Chestnuts and Stir-fried Shrimp on the table immediately whetted his appetite.

"Haha, I learned from a master chef at a hotel in Shanghai. You should all try these other dishes too. They’re local specialties from here in Yunzhong City. I hope they’re to your liking." Shen Yibin chuckled as he explained the characteristics and origins of the other local dishes. The guests listened while they ate, showering the food with endless praise.

Since the race was the day after tomorrow, no one drank very much. Shen Yibin just brought out the Monkey Wine and poured everyone a glass for a taste. The exquisite flavor of the Monkey Wine won them over as well. Driver Han repeatedly insisted that after the race, he absolutely had to come back to Shen Yibin’s place to celebrate. In his mind, he already considered the trophy for this race and the overall annual championship to be in the bag. Of course, he had the skill to back it up; barring any major accidents, both titles were his for the taking.

Likewise, everyone ate in moderation. They didn’t gorge themselves just because the food was delicious. Once they were about seventy percent full, everyone put down their chopsticks. Shen Yibin then led them to the upstairs terrace to chat over tea.

"I just listened to Sun Qian’s music, and I’d say it’s the highest-quality original album in recent years. When it’s about to be released, I’ll help promote it on my social media." Driver Han felt that coming to Yunzhong City for the competition had been truly rewarding. Not only had he made his daughter happy all day, but he had also met a musician as extraordinarily talented as Sun Qian. Of course, his main concern was still the issue with Carmen.

Now that Sun Qian’s topic was concluded and Li Shiqing had gotten the photo and autograph she wanted, Driver Han once again brought up his request to acquire Carmen. "Mr. Shen, would you consider parting with Carmen and letting me have her?"

"Since you were just chatting with Sun Qian, you must have met Cheeky, right? And since you’ve met them both, you probably have some idea about my shop’s rules. If this were an ordinary pet, I’d be happy to sell it to you, but Carmen is different. I really hope it can find an owner that it likes." While he was cooking earlier, Shen Yibin had already checked the affinity between Driver Han and Carmen. Regrettably, they were still a few points shy of the eighty-point passing score.

It was very possible that if Driver Han were willing to stay in Yunzhong City and spend time with Carmen day in and day out, he could raise their affinity score above the passing threshold within a month. Unfortunately, Driver Han had to both compete and worry about his cultural industry ventures; he simply didn’t have that kind of free time. So, Shen Yibin didn’t elaborate and directly refused his request. "But based on your interactions so far, it seems Carmen doesn’t like you enough yet. So..."

"I suppose so. I tried to feed it several times just now, but it wouldn’t have anything to do with me." Driver Han gave a wry smile. Of course, he had thought about winning Carmen’s favor first and then convincing Shen Yibin, but his recent attempts had all failed. He’d actually had a premonition of this before he even asked; now, he just had his confirmation.

"Sigh, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be." Driver Han sighed. He knew his hope of trying his hand at Dakar was now dashed. But he was a magnanimous person and didn’t hold it against Shen Yibin. Instead, he began talking about the various things one needed to pay attention to in off-road racing.

As he warmed to the topic, he even pulled Shen Yibin outside, got into Shen Yibin’s car, and gave him a thorough demonstration. While it couldn’t make Shen Yibin an expert overnight, it was still a great help, and Shen Yibin thanked him profusely.

The next day, they continued to get familiar with the course. The route for the traverse was changed again. Combining the two days of practice, all the competitors now had a general understanding of the course. That evening, Shen Yibin didn’t go home, either. Instead, he stayed in a tent near the site, falling asleep early to rest up for the next day’s competition.

Finally, it was time for the race to begin. Shen Yibin first had to go on stage with Hah’Er to fulfill their duties as the tourism ambassadors for Yunzhong City. Hah’Er’s appearance immediately drew the attention of countless reporters. At that moment, it even outshone Driver Han. But Driver Han wasn’t the least bit jealous; he was still counting on Hah’Er to cheer up his precious daughter.

While on the main platform, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but frown. ’The weather today doesn’t seem very good.’ Looking out, the entire race course was shrouded in a thin layer of fog. While it wasn’t bad enough to call off the race, the difficulty for the competitors had undoubtedly increased by a great deal.

Because of this, the organizers made a special change to the rules, increasing the starting interval from two minutes to five. They also added numerous light guides along the route. Only then did they allow the competitors to enter the race zone. Shen Yibin got into his car as well, followed the large group to the starting point, and prepared for the race to begin.

At the referee’s signal, Driver Han was the first to charge onto the course, followed by contestant number two. Shen Yibin was still set to depart last. By his calculations, Driver Han might have already finished the race by the time he started.

After a long wait, it was finally Shen Yibin’s turn to start. "Carmen, let’s go!"