Future Pet Shop

"Is this for me?" Queen Elizabeth II broke into a childlike smile. Given her status, everyone she met was meticulously cautious; who would dare offer her food the way Hah’Er was? It had been over half a century since she had experienced anything like this. In that moment, she felt as if she had returned to her childhood, sharing pastries with her playmates. She couldn’t help but take the Bamboo Leaf Zongzi from Hah’Er’s paw, but she didn’t know how to eat it.

"Your Majesty!" The royal butler grew anxious. Although the zongzi had already undergone multiple rounds of testing to confirm they contained no harmful substances, Her Majesty was getting on in years. Her daily diet was strictly controlled according to her doctor’s orders. Suddenly eating something different probably wasn’t a good idea, was it?

To be honest, Shen Yibin was also getting nervous. If something happened to the Queen after she ate it, it would become a massive diplomatic incident. Director Kong, standing nearby, turned pale. Having grown up in Xiangjiang, he had been one of the Queen’s subjects for a time and was even more nervous than Shen Yibin.

"It’s alright, I’ll just have a little taste." At this moment, Her Majesty looked less like the monarch of a nation and more like a mischievous child with a sweet tooth. As the saying goes, the older you get, the more like a child you become, and there’s a lot of truth to that. Queen Elizabeth II decided to be a bit willful. She bent down slightly to look at Hah’Er. "Can you tell me how I’m supposed to eat this?"

"Mmm!" Hah’Er didn’t care about any of that. It simply felt that Queen Elizabeth II seemed exceptionally kind and wanted to share its favorite food. Hearing her question, it reached out a paw and deftly helped her unwrap the bamboo leaves from the zongzi. This scene once again left the onlookers marveling. ’How can a panda’s paws be so nimble?’

"So I can just eat it like this?" Queen Elizabeth II looked curiously at the red date on the zongzi, looking eager to try it.

"Uh, we usually dip it in white sugar, but of course, eating it directly is fine too," Shen Yibin quickly added. When it came to zongzi, Yunzhong City was a place where the sweet version reigned supreme; there was no room for the savory kind. This was actually a good thing. At the Queen’s age, she probably wouldn’t be able to handle a meat-filled zongzi.

"Your Majesty, perhaps it is best to just have a small bite directly," the royal butler interjected. At ninety-something years old, eating more sugar would likely be bad for her health. In earlier years, bowls of candy used to be placed in areas of Buckingham Palace that the Queen frequented, allowing her to enjoy a treat whenever she wished. But as she aged, Buckingham Palace had discontinued this practice. Nowadays, it was not so easy for Queen Elizabeth II to get her hands on candy.

"Alright, you’re all always like this," Queen Elizabeth II grumbled under her breath, not pressing the issue. She held the zongzi, studying it for a moment, then took a delicate bite. Everyone instantly held their breath, watching her with rapt attention.

At first, Queen Elizabeth II chewed in small, delicate bites. A moment later, her eyes lit up, and she began eating in earnest. One bite, two bites... well, there was no third bite. These small Cloud Bamboo Leaf Zongzi were tiny, and the Queen finished it completely in just a few mouthfuls. It seemed Her Majesty thoroughly enjoyed the flavor.

A nearby photographer faithfully captured this moment. It wouldn’t be long before photos of Queen Elizabeth II eating a Cloud Bamboo Leaf Zongzi spread across the globe. When that happened, Mayor Wang would probably be grinning from ear to ear.

Seeing that nothing happened after the Queen finished the entire zongzi, Shen Yibin, Director Kong, and the royal entourage all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The butler quickly brought over some black tea to help the Queen digest.

"Mmm!" Hah’Er paid no mind to what others were thinking. It just felt that the old lady in front of it wanted more, so it pulled another zongzi from the gift box and offered it to her.

’Whoa! No way, you can’t do that! Even if it’s good, you can’t eat too much of it. Sticky rice is hard to digest!’ Shen Yibin panicked. He quickly grabbed Hah’Er’s paw and held it back. "My sincerest apologies. It saw that you seem to enjoy this food, so it got a little... a little overeager!"

"Hehe, it’s quite alright. I do very much enjoy this delicious snack." Queen Elizabeth II smiled as an aide behind her quickly took the gift box from Hah’Er’s arms. "I am very fond of the gift from Yunzhong City. May the friendship between Yunzhong City and the people of Great Britain last forever! In time, I will also have a gift prepared for Yunzhong City."

’It’s great that she likes it. I never would’ve guessed Her Majesty was such a foodie,’ Shen Yibin thought, feeling delighted. It seemed he had gone above and beyond in completing the task Mayor Wang had given him.

’The Queen’s return gift probably won’t be something I can just take back with me directly. It’ll likely be sent to the British Embassy in China first, then delivered to Yunzhong City by the embassy staff for Mayor Wang to accept on behalf of the people. When the reporters cover it, Yunzhong City will make headlines again. This is fantastic promotion for the city’s tourism.’

’As for Yunzhong City’s promotional video, they’ll surely watch it without me having to ask. It will inevitably be mentioned in the news reports, and it might just attract a lot of foreigners to visit Yunzhong City.’

"Panda! Panda!" The exchange with the Queen had just ended when another prominent figure approached Hah’Er. Prince George Alexander Louis, just over four years old—the Queen’s great-grandson, the eldest son of Prince William and Princess Kate, and third in line to the British throne—toddled over to Hah’Er, causing another wave of nervousness among the onlookers.

Fortunately, Hah’Er had plenty of experience with children. It was good friends with Nuomituan and Hou Longtao, so it had lots of practice playing with kids. It quickly had the little prince bursting with laughter.

It seemed Hah’Er had done its job a little too well. When the reception ended and it was time for everyone to leave, Prince George Alexander Louis was still clinging to Hah’Er’s paw, looking utterly reluctant to let go.

"Your Highness, if you’d like to see Hah’Er again, you can go to the cinema to watch *Panda Hero*." *Panda Hero* was suitable for audiences of all ages, so even a young child like him would be fine. "You could also come visit us in Yunzhong City," Shen Yibin added, extending an invitation.

Director Kong, standing nearby, smiled until his eyes crinkled. If Prince William really took the little guy to see the movie, that would be another fantastic PR angle!

Shen Yibin, on the other hand, was thinking about something else. ’I wonder if the little prince has ever been abroad. If his first trip overseas is to Yunzhong City, how ecstatic would Mayor Wang be?’

After leaving and returning to their hotel, Shen Yibin and Director Kong eagerly opened their laptops. They wanted to see how netizens would react to the news.