Future Pet Shop

When Wen Yuan woke up, he planned on going to the park with Shen Yibin to exercise again. However, after breakfast, he saw that Shen Yibin showed no signs of leaving. Instead, he was packing. Noticing Wen Yuan looking over, Shen Yibin explained, "Oh, the promotional tour for *Panda Hero* is about to start. I’m taking Hah’Er to Japan with me. For the time being, just stay at the shop and keep Bald Qiang company. I’ll sell them to you whenever you’ve mastered ping pong."

It was only then that Wen Yuan remembered Hah’Er was a massive, sensational superstar. He felt a pang of shame for his initial plan to just overwhelm Shen Yibin with money. His meager savings were nothing compared to what Boss Shen must be worth. He was immensely relieved that he hadn’t done anything rash back then. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t even have this chance to practice ping pong.

"Okay, I’ll take good care of them. Have a safe trip, Mr. Shen." Wen Yuan nodded. "Are you only taking Hah’Er with you this time, Mr. Shen?"

"I’m taking this hamster too, so it won’t get bored. I’m afraid Xiaoliu has to stay at the shop!" This was where their difference in status became apparent. Xiaoliu, after all, was a protected species. The paperwork to take it abroad without a good reason was incredibly difficult to arrange. Last time, it was only because Sylvie had helped that Xiaoliu got to go on a trip. This time, however, Director Kong hadn’t arranged for its papers. As for Maphario, he was just a hamster; the relevant authorities couldn’t be bothered with him. So, Maphario could leisurely accompany Hah’Er to Japan to visit Egg, while Xiaoliu had to stay home with Bald Qiang and the others.

After finishing his packing, Shen Yibin gave Xia Shixuan and the others a few last-minute instructions, reminding them to take good care of Maphario’s orchard and to watch over Xiaoliu and Bald Qiang. The girls were already experts at these tasks, so it was no problem at all.

Xia Shixuan drove Shen Yibin and Hah’Er to the airport, where Wang Jing from Blue Sky Airlines personally escorted them to the VIP lounge. Whenever he flew domestically, Shen Yibin always tried to choose this airline. The quality of service from Wang Jing and her team was always impeccable, making every trip a thoroughly comfortable experience.

Their plane first flew to Shanghai to rendezvous with Director Kong and his team before they all headed to Japan for the promotional tour. This time, Director Kong had chartered a private jet specifically to ensure Hah’Er would be as comfortable as possible. This was an exceptionally lavish move for the domestic film industry, and when news of it broke online, it created a massive stir. The resulting buzz alone was enough to cover the cost of the jet.

Had any other celebrity received this kind of treatment, netizens would have undoubtedly been up in arms. The usual cries about wasteful extravagance would have been dragged out once again. But the star of the show this time was Hah’Er, so the vast majority of netizens were fully supportive. A national treasure deserved to be treated as such, and not a single person complained.

With only a few dozen people on board, the massive plane felt exceptionally spacious. Once the flight stabilized, Hah’Er began to wander curiously through the cabin, as if comparing this private jet to Sokovia’s royal one.

The flight from Shanghai to Japan was much shorter than the trip to Sokovia. Shen Yibin had barely dozed off when the plane began its descent. As he stepped out of the aircraft and approached the airport exit, he was met with the sight of countless frenzied panda fans. They were screaming and holding up all kinds of signs emblazoned with panda images, welcoming "Lord Hah’Er" to Japan. The reception was even wilder than for an A-list celebrity.

Shen Yibin even spotted a sign depicting Asakura Genma’s panda form. It seemed the Japanese fans believed Hah’Er was also a person who had fallen into a "Panda Drowning Spring," which was the only explanation for how a panda could be so intelligent.

’Huh, I guess Hah’Er really is an A-list celebrity now,’ Shen Yibin thought. Airport security nervously held the frenzied fans back, afraid they might do something rash. But while they could stop the people, they couldn’t stop the animals. Egg shot out from between a guard’s legs, yelping as it pounced on Hah’Er. The two chubby furballs immediately tumbled into a playful wrestling match, prompting a frenzy of picture-taking from the reporters and fans. The camera flashes were so bright they nearly blinded Shen Yibin.

"It’s alright, it’s alright! He’s a friend of Hah’Er’s!" Shen Yibin quickly explained to the security guards, who finally relaxed. Afterward, Hah’Er and the other key members of the film crew waved to the fans, answered a few questions, and announced the schedule for their promotional tour. Then, with a security escort, they finally left the airport through a private passageway.

As for autographs, the fans hadn’t even thought to ask. It seemed a bit unreasonable to expect a panda to sign its name, right? The other celebrities were willing to give autographs, but the fans showed little interest.

"Mr. Bin, it’s been too long! You have to stay and have some fun in Japan for a few extra days this time," Sakai Kaori said enthusiastically after they got in the car. "Once your work is done, come and stay at the Honjin Raccoon Shrine with me for a few days."

"YAP! YAP!" Egg, who looked a little chubbier, nodded enthusiastically, clinging to Hah’Er’s paw and refusing to let go. It seemed he also wanted Hah’Er to come visit his home turf.

"No problem. Even if you hadn’t asked, I wanted to see how Egg is doing these days," Shen Yibin readily agreed. He’d more or less found Bald Qiang’s owner, and the next leg of the promotional tour wasn’t for a while yet. He was finally free for a little while, giving him the perfect chance to relax and enjoy himself for a few days.

For the next three days, Hah’Er’s schedule was packed solid. Every day, he was either being interviewed at one TV station or appearing on a variety show for some website; he was unbelievably busy.

These efforts yielded tremendous results. Within three days, countless people across Japan knew the names Hah’Er and *Panda Hero*, and many expressed their eagerness to see the film in theaters. The promotional tour was a resounding success. Director Kong was even confident enough to believe they could break *Spirited Away*’s all-time Japanese box office record of 30.4 billion yen. His investors were grinning from ear to ear, urging him to finalize the sequel contract with Shen Yibin as soon as possible.

When this leg of the tour was over, the bulk of the film crew set off to continue their promotional work in other cities. Shen Yibin, meanwhile, brought Hah’Er and Maphario with him into Sakai Kaori’s car and set off toward her family’s shrine.

It was obvious that Sakai Kaori’s family was quite influential. A convoy of luxury cars escorted them, one in front and one behind, and her subordinates in their car all looked tough and capable. This made Shen Yibin wonder, ’Does her family run a shrine, or a yakuza clan?’

As evening fell, the car finally stopped in a picturesque little town. The moment the town’s residents saw Egg get out of the car, they all fell to their knees and bowed their heads respectfully.

’Holy cow, they’re treating him like an actual god!’ Shen Yibin was utterly stunned.