Future Pet Shop

Li Shiqing stood there, stunned. It took her a long moment to come to her senses. She never imagined Bald Qiang would counterattack like that. Once the crowd’s cheers died down, she said glumly, "Sigh, I really let my guard down!"

"Alright, my turn!" Xie Nannan couldn’t be bothered with any of that and immediately rushed over to grab the paddle. Even though she knew her skills were no match for Li Shiqing’s and that Bald Qiang would defeat her in no time, the chance to play ping-pong with a Beaver was just too rare. She wanted to give it a shot, even if it meant getting completely crushed.

"Fine, take it!" Li Shiqing irritably shoved the paddle into her hands. She shot a resentful look at Bald Qiang. "Just you wait! I’ll get my revenge!"

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Bald Qiang slapped its tail on the table and did a clumsy victory dance. Shen Yibin, meanwhile, rushed to the table, bent down, and examined it carefully. ’I hope Bald Qiang’s huge incisors didn’t chip the table. Those teeth can gnaw through a thick tree trunk. If they hit the table, they’d leave two massive holes for sure.’

Thankfully, none of that had happened; the table was still in perfect condition. Shen Yibin returned to his seat to watch the spectacle. Wen Yuan seized the opportunity to whisper a few words in his ear, then stood up and walked over to Li Shiqing’s side. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I believe I heard Mr. Shen mention that you were on the university’s team?"

Wen Yuan had the air of a refined gentleman, which was quite disarming for a young woman like Li Shiqing. A faint blush crept onto her face as she replied softly, "I was just a substitute. I didn’t get to play in many matches."

"That’s still incredibly impressive!" Wen Yuan praised her with genuine admiration, and he meant it. ’Considering how popular ping-pong is in China and the sheer number of students at Yunzhong University, making the team—even as a substitute—meant she was one in ten thousand,’ he thought. ’She’s got to be far better than the average coach at a training center.’ Besides, it was obvious from her earlier match that Li Shiqing hadn’t been playing at her full potential. That was why Wen Yuan had decided to turn to her for help.

"Ah, I have a rather bold favor to ask, and I’m not sure if you’d be willing to grant it." Wen Yuan stated his purpose. "I would like to hire you to teach me how to play ping-pong. Would that be possible? Of course, I am prepared to pay for your time."

"Huh? You want me to be your coach?" Li Shiqing had never expected such a request and was at a loss for how to respond. "But I have work every day, so I’m not sure I’ll have the time... Besides, my skills are just average. I’m afraid I wouldn’t have much to teach you." ’Why is he so desperate to learn ping-pong?’

"Ah, well, you see, I want to buy these two Beavers," Wen Yuan began to explain. "But your boss said I first have to learn ping-pong well enough to hold a rally with Bald Qiang. Since your skills are so good, I thought I would impose on you." He continued, "I’ll be staying at the shop for the near future, so you could just teach me during your downtime here. I’ve already spoken with your boss, and he has no objections." Wen Yuan was resolute; he wasn’t leaving until he had bought those two Beavers.

"The boss?" Li Shiqing glanced over at Shen Yibin. She wasn’t particularly surprised by the bizarre requirement for buying the Beavers—her boss did strange things all the time, so what was one more? She did, however, feel a bit awkward about the idea of taking on a side job during her work hours.

"It’s no problem," Shen Yibin said, sounding quite supportive. "Since Mr. Wen wants to hire you, go ahead and teach him if it’s convenient for you." ’It’s better for him to learn ping-pong here in the shop than somewhere else,’ he thought. ’At least I know Li Shiqing’s skill level inside and out. Besides, if Wen Yuan sees Bald Qiang and his mate every day, it’ll help them build a bond, won’t it?’

"I’m not too familiar with the going rate for ping-pong lessons here. What do you say to 150 an hour?" Seeing Li Shiqing hesitate, Wen Yuan immediately presented his offer.

"That’s a little high," Li Shiqing said honestly. In Yunzhong City, lessons for young people typically cost around 40 to 50 yuan an hour. It was more expensive for adults, but still only about 60 yuan an hour. A rate of 150 yuan was basically what you’d pay a professional sparring partner before a tournament.

"Not a problem. Then it’s settled. What do I need to prepare? A jersey, shoes, a paddle, and so on? If you could make a list for me, I’ll go buy everything right now." For the sake of these two Beavers, Wen Yuan had already disregarded a huge contract from a major developer; what was this paltry sum in comparison?

At this point, Li Shiqing felt it would be rude to refuse. She first asked about Wen Yuan’s experience and, after learning he had only played a bit back in his school days, she quickly formulated a training plan in her head. She then wrote out a list of necessary equipment and handed it to him.

"You’re from out of town, so you probably don’t know where to buy all this. I’ll give you a ride!" Shen Yibin called for Hah’Er, then got in the car with Wen Yuan and headed toward the sports stadium.

"Mr. Wen, are you staying at a hotel?" Shen Yibin spent the entire drive mulling over how to help Wen Yuan and Bald Qiang bond more quickly. After getting a clear picture of the man’s situation, he made a suggestion. "Hotels can be a bit impersonal, and the commute back and forth every day is a waste of time. Tell you what, I have a spare room upstairs. Why don’t you move in here? It would save you the trouble of traveling."

Wen Yuan couldn’t have asked for a better offer and agreed immediately. He insisted on paying rent, and Shen Yibin didn’t turn him down. "Alright, it’s settled then. From now on, you can have your three meals a day with us, too. Li Shiqing will have plenty of time to teach you how to play after she gets off work."

So on the way back, Shen Yibin drove Wen Yuan straight to his hotel to pick up his belongings before they returned to the shop together. Shen Yibin set him up in a quiet room upstairs, and just like that, Wen Yuan was living at the pet store. Every morning, he would wake up, eat breakfast, and head to the park with Shen Yibin to exercise with Bald Qiang and his mate.

After their workout, they would return to the shop, where Wen Yuan would carefully observe Bald Qiang and his mate as they built their lodge. Whenever the beavers were resting, Wen Yuan would seize the opportunity to practice ping-pong with Li Shiqing. Occasionally, he would even get on the table himself to play a few rallies with Bald Qiang.

During this period, his assistant called twice to press him, saying the developer was very unhappy with his conduct. However, after Wen Yuan sent them a single rough sketch, the developer stopped complaining. They could see that the quality of his work had improved dramatically, which was a good thing for their project. So, they decided to wait patiently for Wen Yuan to complete the full set of drawings.

And so, the days passed. The bond between Wen Yuan and Bald Qiang grew slowly but surely. At last, Shen Yibin could relax a bit and turn his attention to other matters.