Future Pet Shop

After seeing the owner of the print shop off, Shen Yibin took out his phone and snapped a bunch of photos of the New Year prints. He then posted them to Hah’Er’s Weibo account with the caption, “Our New Year prints for the holiday. What do you guys think? Aren’t they great?”

“Wooooow! Bin, where are these prints sold? I want to put one up on my door too! Argh, I just don’t know if my mom would kill me for it, haha.” A reply came almost instantly. Just as Shen Yibin had expected, as soon as the prints appeared, they won unanimous praise from netizens, all of whom wanted to buy them.

“Hahahaha, I can put it on my bedroom door! My parents are back in our hometown and won’t see it, so I don’t have to worry about that at all. Hey Bin, just tell us where to buy them already!” These were long-time fans who knew Shen Yibin ran Hah’Er’s account, so they called him by name from the get-go.

“Oh wow, these prints are so festive! They look like they’ll bring in good fortune. I’m going to buy a few to put on my shop’s door. They’re sure to attract a ton of customers.” This commenter had a good eye for business. Just imagine: you’re wandering down the street and see a shop with a New Year print of a panda holding a gold ingot on its door. Wouldn’t you be curious? You’d definitely pop in for a look, right? Even if only one in ten of those people actually bought something, it would still add up to a considerable number.

“Bin, do you have any of those prints left at your place? I’ll swing by tomorrow to grab some!” Xu Ye also sent a message on WeChat. It seemed he had seen the Weibo post as well.

“No problem. Just figure out what sizes you need before you come over, and I’ll call the shop to have them delivered.” After sorting things out with Xu Ye, messages started pouring in from Qiao Wenqi, Mo Xiaomo, and Bai Yanni. Even his business partners—Zhang Danxuan, Bai Jingxiang, and Bao—were stirred into action. Shen Yibin’s WeChat notifications chimed nonstop.

“Boss, that’s not cool! You have something this great and you’re not sharing it with us! We demand that the New Year prints be distributed as a Spring Festival bonus,” Xia Shixuan, Li Shiqing, and others protested lightheartedly.

“Alright, alright, alright. Just send me the sizes you all need, and I’ll have them shipped out to you tomorrow!” ‘Looks like I’ll have to ask the print shop owner to deliver more tomorrow,’ he thought.

“It’s been fifteen minutes already! Bin, why haven’t you given us the purchasing link? Are you just posting this to tease us? Not cool, Bin! C’mon, everyone, let’s get a comment chain going! We demand Bin release the purchase link!” He had been so busy with his friends and family that he didn’t have time to reply to the netizens, who were now getting impatient.

“We demand Bin release the purchase link! +1”

“We demand Bin release the purchase link! +91”

“We demand Bin release the purchase link! +1024”

Soon, the entire comment section was flooded with the comment chain demanding the purchase link. Before long, the count had reached four digits. Shen Yibin decided the time was right and quickly posted the QR code the print shop owner had given him. “For those who want to buy, you can place your order at this shop. The delivery companies are about to stop for the holidays, so you need to act fast! Otherwise, there’ll be no way to ship them to you.” After posting the link, he didn’t forget to add a reminder. He estimated there were probably only two or three days left for them to accept orders.

“Hahahaha, I snagged one! I live really close to the shop’s address, so I’ll probably get my prints tomorrow. Try not to be too jealous!” Someone had already placed an order within the first few seconds.

“Do you guys think I could make a profit if I buy extra and resell them?” Someone was already considering becoming a scalper.

“In your dreams. Didn’t you see the purchase limit? Each person is only allowed to buy two sets, max. Even if you have the money, you can’t buy more!” The owner of the print shop, however, had already prepared for this.

Shen Yibin grinned to himself as he read the comments. The better the print shop’s business did, the more donations the Yunzhong City Hope Primary School would receive. Shen Yibin was thrilled to be able to contribute to his hometown.

“The morning dew falls on bamboo leaves, waking the panda from its dreams. It emerges from its nest and gazes at the mountain opposite, wondering what the other side might be like…” Just as he was happily reading through the comments, Shen Yibin’s phone rang. He picked it up and realized it was the owner of the print shop.

“Mr. Shen! Your promotion was just incredible! I had ten staff members on standby, and they still couldn’t keep up with the orders! We’re going crazy over here! Thank you so, so much! I’m going to hire more people and contact more printing factories right away!” The print shop owner was so excited he was practically babbling.

“I’ll deliver the prints your friends wanted first thing tomorrow morning! And next year, when school starts, Mr. Bin, you have to come with me to make the donation.” This was the only way he could think of to express his gratitude.

“Hold on, no rush. Another bunch of people have asked me for prints. Let me confirm their required sizes and addresses, and I’ll send the info to you on WeChat in a moment. You can just send them all out together!” Shen Yibin quickly organized the information he’d just received into two lists for the shop owner: one for people out of town who needed delivery, and the other for those who would be picking them up from his house tomorrow.

The owner immediately began preparing the stock according to Shen Yibin’s instructions. The next morning, he shipped out the packages, then drove over to Shen Yibin’s house with a large batch of prints. Xu Ye, Wen Yuan, Xia Shixuan, Qiao Wenqi, Bai Yanni, and the others finally got their hands on what they wanted.

They hadn’t just come to pick up the New Year prints; they also brought gifts to wish Shen Yibin an early Happy New Year. Since Shen Yibin had already paid them all a visit, it was only proper for them to return the courtesy.

Shen Yibin thanked each of them and insisted they stay for a good meal. After dinner, they all went to the recreation room to sing karaoke, drink, and play pool. They had a blast, and the party didn’t wrap up until late at night.

The guests stayed the night at Shen Yibin’s place, finally taking their leave the next morning. Sun Qian left along with them, as it was time for her to return to her hometown for the New Year. Figuring it would be a hassle for Sun Qian to travel with so many things, Xia Shixuan simply lent her her car.

“Well, they’re all gone. It’s just us left now!” After saying this, Wen Yuan also went to pack his things, planning to return to his hometown with his wife and child around noon. Soon, Shen Yibin would be the only person left in the vast manor.

Even though he had Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, Maphario, Carmen, and the Bald Qiang couple with him, Shen Yibin still felt a bit lonely. He sat on the second-floor terrace, gazing out at the Yunshui River, his mood sinking slightly.

“Nnngh!” Hah’Er seemed to sense Shen Yibin’s mood. Tilting his head, he picked an orange from the fruit basket and offered it to Shen Yibin.

“At least I still have you guys with me,” Shen Yibin said, touched, as he accepted it. “Come on, let’s split it!”

The orange was delightfully sweet. Just as Shen Yibin was about to comment on it, his phone suddenly buzzed. He picked it up and saw a new message on WeChat. “Bin, would it be okay if I came to your place for the New Year?”