Future Pet Shop

"This is as far as the car can go. Everyone, get ready to get out," Shen Yibin announced as he parked at the mountain pass. "The rest of the way is on foot. Double-check that you haven't left anything in the car!" He got out with Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian, retrieved their luggage from the trunk, and slung the largest hiking backpack onto his own back.

Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian were decked out in outdoor attire, from their hiking boots to their trekking poles—they were armed to the teeth. The pets joining them on this trip were Carmen, Hah'Er, Egg, Xiaoliu, Maphario, and Cheeky. The Bald Qiang couple weren't skilled climbers, and Scarf had stayed behind at the shop with Li, so none of them came.

"Be careful once you're in the mountains. Don't go anywhere dangerous," the staff member at the mountain pass checkpoint warned them. After registering their planned route, schedule, and phone numbers, he finally let them pass. This area was a popular hiking trail for backpackers, and Yunzhong City was serious about ensuring their safety. After all, the city's economy depended on tourism; any accident would hurt local revenue.

"Got it. You don't have to worry," Shen Yibin replied. It wasn't his first time in the mountains, so he was familiar with the procedures. Once all the paperwork was done, he led Sun Qian and Sakai Kaori into the mountains.

"Carmen, see that?" Shen Yibin said, pointing to a distant slope. "We need to get there before tonight." There was a campsite there, which was the perfect place for them to rest for the night. If they missed it, finding another spot to camp would be difficult, so they had to reach it before dark.

"WOOF! WOOF!" Carmen barked confidently and trotted ahead, full of energy. Shen Yibin, holding the leash, took the second spot, followed by Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian. Hah'Er and Egg brought up the rear. Xiaoliu, however, scurried straight up a tree. The little creature was in its element in the mountains; it was like being at home. As long as there were large trees, any difficult path was a superhighway for it. It didn't need Carmen's guidance at all.

"It's just leading the way! I can do that too!" Cheeky declared, fluttering into the air with a tone full of jealousy. Whenever it had gone into the mountains with Shen Yibin before, the job of guide had always been its. Now Carmen was stealing its gig.

"You can only tell if a path is passable. You can't plan an entire route," Shen Yibin said. "For your Qianqian's sake, so she can conserve her energy, let's just listen to Carmen." While Cheeky could fly up and see if the way ahead was blocked, it was terrible at choosing the optimal path when faced with multiple options. In that respect, it was no match for Carmen.

Cheeky grumbled unhappily, but since the decision involved its master, it didn't press the issue. Instead, it flew ahead to scout, hoping to find some flaw in Carmen's navigation and prove its own worth. However, Carmen performed its duty as a guide dog flawlessly. No matter how complex the terrain, it always found the most efficient and safest route, saving Sun Qian and Sakai Kaori a tremendous amount of energy and giving Cheeky no chance to show off.

"It's only noon, and we're already halfway there! Today's going much more smoothly than usual. Let's all sit down for a break, have something to eat, and drink some water." After cresting a small hill and arriving at a flat, grassy patch, Shen Yibin dropped his backpack and waved for Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian to rest.

"Today's hike has been so easy, and Carmen is the MVP! Here, have a piece of jerky!" Sun Qian pulled a piece of dried meat from her backpack and offered it to Carmen as a reward. But Carmen didn't take it right away. It waited until it saw Shen Yibin nod before flicking out its tongue and snatching the treat into its mouth.

"Qianqian, I'm hungry too! I want some dried figs!" Seeing its master feed another pet first, Cheeky instantly grew jealous and flew to Sun Qian's side, squawking insistently.

"Lord Egg, you should have some provisions as well!" Nearby, Sakai Kaori was holding some dry food up to Egg's mouth. Hah'Er and Maphario, on the other hand, needed no such pampering. Xiaoliu had already found food for them in the forest. Even though it was winter, there were still dried fruits and nuts to be found, and Xiaoliu could easily gather a huge pile with just a bit of searching.

"Here, let's eat the nuts and berries Xiaoliu brought back. We can save the provisions for tonight," Shen Yibin said. He took the bundle from Xiaoliu's paws, thanked it, and passed the food around. The group settled onto the grass and began to enjoy their snack.

After filling their bellies and rehydrating, they rested for about an hour. Once their stamina returned, the group set off again. The afternoon trek was just as smooth. Shen Yibin intentionally slowed their pace, allowing Sun Qian and Sakai Kaori to fully appreciate the beautiful scenery. He even pulled out his phone from time to time to snap a few particularly stunning photos to post on his social media and Weibo, instantly garnering a flood of envious replies.

"HUFF! PUFF!" Hah'Er and Egg, the two chubby creatures, panted heavily as they trudged along, looking a bit tired. Their exhaustion wasn't just from the walking, however. They were so overjoyed to be back in nature that they spent the whole time roughhousing and playing around, which consumed at least half their energy.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Hah'Er suddenly pointed at a slope up ahead and chuffed something at Egg. Shen Yibin peered at it and realized this seemed to be the exact spot where he had first discovered Egg.

"Huh?" Egg seemed to remember the place too. With a whoosh, it slid down the grassy slope. Hah'Er tucked its head between its paws, curled into a ball, and rolled right down after it. Shen Yibin led Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian down to the bottom, where he recounted the scene of how he had first found Egg—leaving out any mention of the Future Pet Shop, of course.

"Alright, playtime's over. Let's get back on the trail," Shen Yibin called out after a while. "If we linger any longer, we won't make it to the campsite." He herded the frolicking pets back onto the path and led them onward.

At five in the afternoon, the group finally arrived at the campsite. Shen Yibin set up the tents, boiled some water on a professional camping stove, and cooked a simple meal. Everyone ate their fill. After nightfall, they sat outside the tents to watch the stars for a bit before turning in early.

「Early the next morning」

Shen Yibin was fast asleep in his sleeping bag when he was suddenly jolted awake by a cacophony of footsteps outside. It sounded like there were people talking and dogs barking, too.

'Huh? Why would so many people suddenly show up out here in the middle of nowhere? Did something happen?' Shen Yibin scrambled up and crawled out of his tent. Peeking his head out, he saw a group of a dozen or so people heading their way.