Future Pet Shop

After a short flight, Shen Yibin once again found himself at Shanghai's airport. The staff members were no longer as surprised to see Hah'Er as they had been before; it seemed they had gradually grown accustomed to the little guy's presence.

Director Kong personally came to the airport to welcome them. After they got in the car, he immediately began to sing the praises of the manor Wen Yuan had designed. "I really didn't expect you to be so well-connected, Bin, finding such an incredible designer. I showed the sketches to a few top designers in Xiangjiang, and they were all full of praise. They said outright that even if they were the ones to design it, they could never have produced such an amazing result."

"It was a coincidence, actually. The shop recently got two beavers, and I posted some photos online of them building their own lodge. He happened to see them and said they gave him a lot of inspiration. He made a special trip to my store to observe the beavers' building process, and over time, he grew to like Yunzhong City and decided to settle down here. That's how we got the opportunity to have him design the house for us," Shen Yibin explained, recounting to Director Kong how he had met Wen Yuan. Of course, he saw no need to mention buying Bald Qiang specifically for its table tennis practice.

"Speaking of which, Bin, you're holding out on me. You have so many interesting pets in your shop and you haven't given me one or two," Director Kong said with a chuckle. He was extremely envious of Xiaoliu and wished he could take it home to brew wine for him every day.

"Director Kong, you're a busy man, always running all over the world. Where would you find the time to keep a pet?" Shen Yibin said, laughing it off. Of course, if a pet that truly clicked with Director Kong came along in the future, he wouldn't mind selling it to him.

Before long, the car arrived at the hotel. Once inside the suite that had been prepared for Shen Yibin, Director Kong handed mineral water to him and Hah'Er, then sat on the sofa to discuss the promotional tour. As for Maphario, Hah'Er just poured some water into a bottle cap for it to drink.

"Our promotional focus this time will be on two cities: Los Angeles and New York. Los Angeles is the home of Hollywood—the entertainment capital of the US, and even the world—while New York is America's largest city. We'll need Hah'Er to make a personal appearance in these two locations, but we won't trouble him with the other cities." Director Kong was very considerate of Hah'Er. Though Panda Hero had events scheduled in nearly every major American city, Hah'Er would only need to attend the ones in these two.

"Thank you, Director Kong. So, are we heading to Los Angeles or New York first?" Shen Yibin asked. The flight from Shanghai to New York was fifteen hours, and even the one to Los Angeles was over twelve. Neither long flight sounded particularly comfortable.

"Los Angeles first, of course. It's a little closer, so the flight won't be as tiring. I've also borrowed a private jet this time, which is much more comfortable than a commercial flight. Don't you worry, I'd never let Hah'Er suffer." Director Kong had already taken this into account. Not only had he chosen the closer city, but he had also specially borrowed a private jet for Hah'Er.

Shen Yibin was, of course, incredibly grateful. He didn't mind roughing it himself, but he would have felt terrible if Hah'Er had to endure too much hardship. It wasn't until he boarded the plane early the next morning that his worries were finally put to rest. Director Kong's preparations this time were even more thorough than for their trip to Japan. Not only was there a spacious bedroom for Hah'Er, but the director had even brought along gourmet food personally prepared by Chef Ah Qing—all of Hah'Er's favorite dishes.

And so, happily eating gourmet food and humming tunes the whole way, Hah'Er crossed the Pacific Ocean with ease, landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Once there, their partner company from Hollywood led them through a special channel for expedited customs clearance. The usually meticulous customs officers' eyes lit up the moment they saw Hah'Er. If they hadn't been on duty, they probably would have rushed over for a photo with him.

Thanks to Hah'Er's presence, the customs officers went easy on their inspection, and they completed their entry procedures in no time. Just as Shen Yibin was about to lead Hah'Er toward the exit, a staff member from the Hollywood company hurried to stop him. "Mr. Shen, please wait a moment. The news somehow leaked, and American fans know that you and Hah'Er are arriving in Los Angeles today. There are countless fans gathered outside hoping to see Hah'Er. We're calling for reinforcements; it would be best for you to wait until the extra security arrives before going out."

'Holy crap, is it really that bad?' Shen Yibin thought. 'The way he's talking, you'd think Michael Jackson had been resurrected, not that Hah'Er was here!' He wondered if the man was exaggerating. However, when the reinforcements arrived and escorted him and Hah'Er out of the airport, he realized the situation was every bit as chaotic as described.

"Panda! Panda!" The moment Hah'Er appeared, countless crazed fans surged forward, waving all sorts of panda-themed posters and signs and letting out piercing screams. The scene was on the verge of spiraling out of control. The security guards quickly escorted them into a car. After getting inside, Shen Yibin thought he saw a few familiar faces through the window—it looked like Lunfei'Er, Charlotte, Narcissus, and Famite from the Shanghai trip were here too. 'Could they be the ones who leaked the news?' he wondered.

"Hmm!" Seeing all the panda images outside, Hah'Er curiously stuck his head out the window to get a better look at all the different-looking pandas. He then instinctively raised a paw and waved at the fans.

"AHHH!!!" The fans immediately erupted in screams, pushing toward the car even more frantically. Shen Yibin quickly pulled Hah'Er back inside. 'Don't do that again! These poor security guards can't take this kind of excitement!'

The car sped away, making an emergency exit via a pre-planned route. After driving in a few circles to shake off the fans, they arrived at Beverly Hills, a favorite haunt of Hollywood celebrities, and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel. Only then could they finally breathe a sigh of relief; ordinary fans couldn't get in here.

But just because ordinary fans couldn't get in didn't mean Hollywood's biggest stars couldn't. They had long since learned through various channels that Director Kong's party would be staying at the hotel. The glorious prospects of Panda Hero and the ever-expanding Chinese market meant none of them wanted to miss this golden opportunity, so they flocked to the hotel, hoping for a chance meeting.

Unfortunately, Shen Yibin and Hah'Er were exhausted from the long flight. Instead of coming down to explore, they remained in their room, quietly resting and recovering from jet lag, much to the great disappointment of the hopeful celebrities.

However, their chance came again the following day. Shen Yibin finally emerged from his room with Hah'Er. According to the schedule Director Kong had shared with them in advance, he would be taking Hah'Er to the world-famous Walk of Fame to leave his paw prints.