Future Pet Shop

Of course, Shen Yibin wasn't willing to trade Hah'Er for Trump. Even trading him for Ivanka would be impossible. Besides, Trump probably wouldn't be willing to chew on bamboo. So, when it was time to head home, Hah'Er was still right by Shen Yibin's side. The past few days of promotional events had left Hah'Er utterly exhausted. He flopped onto the bed and started snoring the moment he got on the plane.

After leaving Maphario by the bed to watch over Hah'Er, Shen Yibin and Director Kong went out to chat about the upcoming schedule over some tea. Director Kong said apologetically, "Hah'Er has really worked hard these past few days. It can't be helped; this is always the most exhausting part of our job. But we're almost done—just two more stops."

Shen Yibin had seen the promotional schedule beforehand. Soon, he would have to take Hah'Er on a promotional tour through Europe. The specific locations included five cities: London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and Moscow, which were some of Europe's biggest box office markets. This leg of the tour would be far more exhausting than Japan and the United States. The final stop would be the global premiere in Shanghai.

"It's fine," Shen Yibin replied. "Since I've already agreed, I'll definitely see it through. Besides, Hah'Er seems to enjoy traveling." 'That little guy is a huge foodie, after all. He couldn't get enough of the food in Japan and America, so I bet he won't say no to French, Italian, or Russian cuisine. As for British food... better just forget it. Everyone knows the British Empire specializes in culinary abominations. That legendary online post I read, *We Brits Can Cook*, scared the piss out of me. On the bright side, I'll get to see Sylvie again in Europe. Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem so bad.'

"That's good." Director Kong breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried Shen Yibin might refuse to film a sequel for this reason, and only now did he relax. "For now, you should go home and get some proper rest for a few days. Once you're recovered, we'll head to Europe. I'll take Fang Yuanshan and the others to do some preliminary promotions in other cities like Madrid, Benfica, and Brussels first." The panda fans in those countries were out of luck; they probably wouldn't get a chance to see Hah'Er in person.

This was understandable. Aside from Spain, the other locations were smaller countries that didn't promise a large box office return. It wouldn't be cost-effective for Hah'Er to go. If people there wanted to see Hah'Er, they could just go to London, Paris, or Rome! As for Sokovia, Hah'Er had already visited last time, so he had already done right by Sylvie.

They chatted for a while longer. Director Kong wanted to bring up the topic of a sequel several times but couldn't find a good opening. In the end, he decided not to mention it. 'It's better to wait until after the movie is released and the box office numbers explode,' he thought. 'Hah'Er is just too tired right now. If I bring it up immediately, Shen Yibin will probably still be hesitant.'

After finishing his tea, Shen Yibin went back to the bedroom to rest. That was the beauty of a private jet—lying down for over ten hours was much more comfortable than sitting for that long. By the time he woke up, Hah'Er had also regained his spirits. Shen Yibin made a sumptuous meal for Hah'Er and Maphario in the plane's kitchen. Not long after they finished eating, the plane entered Chinese airspace.

The plane landed gently at Shanghai's airport, where Shen Yibin waved goodbye to Director Kong and his team. He had gotten plenty of rest on the plane, so there was no need to spend another day in Shanghai. He transferred to a flight back to Yunzhong City. After a few more hours in the air, the plane touched down at Yunzhong City Airport. Shen Yibin, Hah'Er, and Maphario hopped into a car driven by Xia Shixuan and headed toward the pet shop.

"Hm!" While Xia Shixuan was stopped at a red light, Hah'Er, from the passenger seat, handed her a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"Ooh, what's this? A present for me?" Xia Shixuan asked, pleasantly surprised. She never expected Hah'Er to bring her back a gift.

"Yep," Shen Yibin nodded, then realized something wasn't quite right. "Hey, I brought you guys presents when I went to Europe and Japan, too. How come you weren't this excited back then?"

"Is a present from you the same as a present from Hah'Er?" Xia Shixuan huffed. She took the gift box, placed it in her lap, and started the car. A short while later, they were back at the shop.

After getting out of the car, Shen Yibin followed behind Hah'Er, carrying a large gift bag. Hah'Er took out an assortment of presents from the bag and handed them to Li Shiqing, Gao Shu, Xie Nannan, Xiaoliu, and the couple, Bald Qiang and his partner. He didn't forget anyone, not even Wen Yuan.

Xiaoliu received a Jedi Knight's Light Saber. Of course, it couldn't actually shoot lasers, but it was a prop that lit up. Shen Yibin thought, 'If Xiaoliu ever ended up in the *Star Wars* universe, he'd definitely become an even greater Jedi Knight than Master Yoda.' Bald Qiang and his partner received a toothbrush and toothpaste set with a Beaver print. 'Those two chew on wood all day; they've got to take care of their teeth!' The gifts for Gao Shu, Xia Shixuan, and the others were various cosmetics, while Wen Yuan received a portfolio of works by a master American architect. Everyone was thrilled to get a present from Hah'Er.

He had also prepared gifts for Xu Ye, Bai Yanni, and Qiao Wenqi, but Shen Yibin planned to have them come over to get them the next day. He was simply too tired today and had no energy to cook for them or have drinks.

"I'm going to take a nap. We can talk about everything else tomorrow!" Shen Yibin said with a yawn. Wen Yuan had been about to say something, but he held his tongue when he saw Shen Yibin's condition. Instead, he hugged the portfolio, sat down by the pond, and began to flip through it.

He slept straight through until the next morning. When he finished making breakfast and called everyone to eat, he noticed Wen Yuan wasn't there. Xia Shixuan explained, "Mr. Wen has been going back to his rental to be with his family for the past few days."

'Oh, that makes sense,' Shen Yibin thought. 'Bald Qiang and his partner have finished building their house, so there's not much for him to oversee at the shop anymore. As long as he still comes by for ping-pong every day, it's all good.' Shen Yibin didn't ask any more questions. After breakfast, he took Hah'Er and the others to the park to work out. When their training was over, they returned to the shop, where Shen Yibin received his Swordsmanship lesson from Xiaoliu by the pond. Life seemed to be returning to its usual, leisurely rhythm.

That evening, Xu Ye, Bai Yanni, Qiao Wenqi, and the others all came over. Everyone had a blast all night, drinking Monkey Wine and listening to Shen Yibin recount his experiences in America. By the end, everyone except for Xiaoliu and Xia Shixuan was a little tipsy. Wen Yuan still hadn't found the right moment to speak his mind.

On the third day, Wen Yuan arrived at the shop bright and early. 'If I don't seize this chance to speak,' he thought, 'it might be too late.'

After enjoying a breakfast personally cooked by Shen Yibin, Wen Yuan hurriedly stopped him as he was about to head out for his workout. "Mr. Shen, I have something very important to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Shen Yibin asked.