Future Pet Shop

"Um, can I hire someone to play with it every day?" Wen Yuan asked, hesitating for a moment. With his financial resources, it wouldn’t be a problem to hire a few professional players to play ball with Bald Qiang for a couple of hours each day. He, on the other hand, was afraid he just didn’t have the skill for it.

"Mr. Shen, look," Wen Yuan said, assuming Shen Yibin was questioning his financial resources. "I might not be fabulously wealthy, but I’ve accumulated some assets over the years. It wouldn’t be too difficult for me to find a nice plot of land and build a habitat for these two beavers. They could build dams and lodges in a natural environment; it would probably be more comfortable than here, don’t you think? Rest assured, if you entrust them to me, I will definitely take excellent care of them." He was tempted to just show Shen Yibin his bank balance on the spot.

"Yes, it’s true that beavers are better off in a more natural environment." Shen Yibin didn’t deny the financial commitment required. ’But if his affinity doesn’t meet the requirement, all the money in the world won’t help.’ He also wanted to find a suitable owner for Bald Qiang quickly; in a little while, he would have to take Harold around the world for promotions, and time was getting tight. ’But rules are rules. Since he hasn’t met the requirements, I can’t sell Bald Qiang and his wife to Wen Yuan.’ "However," Shen Yibin continued, "you’re the one who wants to buy them, not those professional athletes. And you’re the one who should be spending time with them every day, not those athletes."

"Look at me. I have to get up bright and early every single day to take this guy running in the park." Fearing Wen Yuan still didn’t understand, Shen Yibin used Hah’Er as an example, describing the ordeal of dragging the panda out for a run. "Since my pet likes it, I just have to go along with its wishes. It’s the same if you want to buy these beavers."

"That does seem to be the case. My two dogs at home need to be walked often, and that’s something I used to do all the time." Wen Yuan finally seemed to understand. ’It’s best to walk your own dogs yourself, so it follows that I should be the one to play ping-pong with my own beaver.’ "So, are you saying that if I learn how to play ping-pong, I’ll be able to buy these two beavers?" ’Maybe I should sign up for a ping-pong class and practice a bit?’ he thought.

"As long as you get good enough to hold your own against him for a few rallies, that should be enough!" Shen Yibin replied confidently. ’Wen Yuan is an excellent candidate, and his affinity is just a little bit off. If he improves his ping-pong skills and plays with Bald Qiang a couple more times, he’ll definitely be able to raise his affinity above eighty and meet the purchasing requirement.’

"Alright, I’ll just watch for a little longer then!" Wen Yuan fell silent again, sitting down to watch Bald Qiang and Li Shiqing’s match. But the more he watched, the more pressure he felt.

Even though he didn’t normally play ping-pong, he’d occasionally watched a few televised matches, so he had some basis for judgment. He could tell that Li Shiqing’s skill level was quite impressive, yet Bald Qiang was able to trade blows with her back and forth. ’That’s incredibly good!’

"Go, Bald Qiang! Go, Bald Qiang!" Xie Nannan cheered energetically from the sidelines. Hah’Er and Xiaoliu did the same, jumping up and down like a cheerleading squad. Although Gao Lujie couldn’t understand the game, she offered her husband unconditional support, her eyes glued nervously to the unfolding match.

"Wow, you’ve got some moves! I’m not going easy on you anymore!" Initially, Li Shiqing hadn’t paid it much mind, having stepped up to the table just for fun. But after a few rallies where Bald Qiang didn’t fall behind in the slightest, her competitive spirit was ignited, and she slowly began to reveal her true skill.

Li Shiqing’s playstyle changed dramatically. She no longer aimed the ping-pong ball right where Bald Qiang was standing. Instead, she began forcing her opponent to scramble all over the table, making it much harder for him to return the ball.

Despite Bald Qiang’s chubby appearance, his movements weren’t the least bit clumsy. He hopped left and right across the table, managing to return every single ball. He even copied Li Shiqing’s tactic, deliberately aiming for her weak spots. The intensity of the match ratcheted up another notch.

"Shi Qing, you better not lose!" Xia Shixuan had just seen a customer out and took a moment to come over and watch, shouting encouragement to Li Shiqing.

"I won’t lose!" Having familiarized herself with her opponent’s style, Li Shiqing had gradually figured out a path to victory. ’Bald Qiang playing on top of the table might overcome his short stature, but it also reveals a new weakness. If I aim the ball right at his body, what’s he going to do?’

A human player wouldn’t be afraid of this situation, as they typically hold their paddle horizontally across their chest. But Bald Qiang was different. His tail was behind him; there was no way to bring it in front of his chest. Li Shiqing’s plan seemed to have perfectly exploited Bald Qiang’s weakness.

It all happened in an instant. Li Shiqing found her opening, sidestepped, and swung her paddle with all her might, smashing the ping-pong ball straight at Bald Qiang’s chest. The ball’s speed was far greater than before, leaving Bald Qiang no time to leap out of its path and return it with his tail.

"Great shot!" Shen Yibin couldn’t help but exclaim, even before the ball made contact. In his eyes, Li Shiqing had already won the point. ’She’s a former university team player, after all. Her ability to observe an opponent’s technique and adjust her strategy accordingly is definitely professional-grade!’

Xiaoliu was the first to hang his head in defeat. With his years of swordsmanship experience, he could see that Li Shiqing had found Bald Qiang’s fatal flaw. The point seemed lost. Influenced by the monkey, Hah’Er also stopped his cheering. Only Gao Lujie continued to support her husband, unwavering.

"SQUEAK!" Bald Qiang seemed to freeze for a second when he saw the ball coming. It was too late to jump to the right, and to the left was the edge of the table. ’What can I do?’ Just as the ball was about to slam into his body, Bald Qiang suddenly made an astonishing move.

He suddenly lunged forward, flopping onto the table with a THUD. The ping-pong ball sailed right over his head. Simultaneously, his tail shot up and whipped forward, striking the ball. With a sharp CRACK, it was sent flying back across the net.

Li Shiqing never in a million years expected a move like that from Bald Qiang. She was already celebrating her victory and never imagined the ball could possibly be returned. She was too slow to react, watching helplessly as the ball bounced once on her side of the table before flying past. She had lost the point.

"Awesome, Qiang!" Shen Yibin, Xie Nannan, and Xia Shixuan all leaped to their feet, clapping and cheering. That counter was absolutely brilliant!

Meanwhile, a cold sweat broke out on Wen Yuan’s forehead. ’Holy crap,’ he thought. ’You want *me* to play against him? That might be a bit of a challenge, huh?’