Future Pet Shop

The mountain air was exceptionally fresh, and Shen Yibin felt completely revitalized upon waking. After taking Hah’Er to the river to wash his face, he started the car and continued on his way. He soon arrived at the next town, where he bought some buns and congee to-go. After driving another few miles to a deserted spot, Shen Yibin finally stopped the car so he, Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, and Maphario could eat breakfast.

It couldn’t be helped. If the locals were to see Hah’Er, it would just cause delays. Shen Yibin wasn’t afraid of the attention, but it was always better to avoid trouble when possible.

After entering Zhongnan Province, he turned from an eastward to a northward course. Three more hours of driving finally brought him to the town closest to the orange dot of light. Just like before, he got out to buy some supplies and brought them back to the car. He then drove a few more miles into the mountains before finally letting Hah’Er and the others out to rest for a bit and eat lunch.

"Let’s just make do with this for now. I’ll make you something delicious when we get back." The local food naturally couldn’t compare to Shen Yibin’s own cooking, so he did his best to console Hah’Er. However, it seemed Hah’Er had never tried *liangpi* or *roujiamo* before and was eating with great gusto; it looked like it was really enjoying the meal.

After lunch, they returned to the car. Shen Yibin pulled out his phone to check the radar again. The orange dot’s position had shifted since the last time he’d looked. ’Looks like this animal doesn’t like to stay in one place,’ he thought. ’This is probably going to be a headache.’

"Alright, let’s head deeper into the mountains. I figure we’ll have to get out and walk soon!" Shen Yibin put his phone down and started the car. The signs of civilization along the road grew increasingly scarce. Over the years, due to policies like converting farmland back to forest and developing new rural areas, the mountain folk who once eked out a living here had mostly relocated to the towns below, where they led better lives. Now, the only people left in the mountains were a few old-timers who refused to leave, forestry staff, and animal conservation workers. It wasn’t uncommon to travel for miles on end without seeing another soul.

As a result, the mountain’s animal populations had gradually recovered, reclaiming the land that humans had vacated. Shen Yibin would occasionally spot animals like rabbits and pheasants by the roadside. With no one around to see it, Hah’Er had him roll down the window. It stared eagerly at the wildlife outside, letting out surprised yelps from time to time.

"Okay, this is it. We’ll take this trail and walk for about six more miles. Looks like we’ll be camping in the mountains tonight!" Shen Yibin pulled the car over to the side of the road and camouflaged it a bit. Then, shouldering a pack with a tent, dry rations, and water, he led Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, and Maphario down a small path overgrown with weeds and deep into the forest.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! Without a moment’s hesitation, Xiaoliu scrambled up a large tree. Swinging from branch to branch, it took the lead, occasionally looking back at Shen Yibin to point the way forward. This was far better than Shen Yibin trying to find the way on his own. This area hadn’t seen human visitors in several years, at least. Without Xiaoliu scouting ahead, there was no telling how long it would take to reach the orange dot’s location.

Hah’Er thoughtfully took Bao, the small pack of dry rations, from Shen Yibin and hoisted it onto its back. It switched to walking on all fours, a rare occurrence, and even let Maphario ride on its back. Despite Hah’Er’s short limbs and usual wobbly gait, it moved much faster than Shen Yibin in the mountains. From behind, Shen Yibin felt like he was watching a black-and-white furball tumbling forward, and in no time at all, it had left him far behind.

Riding on its back, Maphario clung tightly to Hah’Er’s fur, terrified of being thrown off. These mountains were full of predators; for a creature of its small size, a fall would not end well. Fortunately, Maphario was used to joyrides on Hah’Er’s back from their time in the park. Despite Hah’Er’s speed, it remained perched securely on its back.

"Let’s rest for a bit. Go on, wash your face." Reaching a clear stream, Shen Yibin dropped his pack and gasped for breath. This trail was much tougher than the ones he’d taken when searching for Egg and Xiaoliu. If he hadn’t built up his stamina from all that training with Shi Gaofei, he never would have made it this far.

"Hmph!" Hah’Er, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. Life in the mountain forests was, after all, an instinct etched deep into its genes. A trail like this was nothing. It ambled over to the stream’s edge, intending to wash its paws, but the sight of fish in the water made it forget everything else. It excitedly leaped into the stream, trying to bat the fish onto the bank. Yep, the little guy was craving grilled fish again.

"Hah’Er, let it go. We can’t start a fire here." ’Sigh, these fish only managed to repopulate after the mountain was closed to the public. It would be a pity for Hah’Er to just catch them like this. Besides,’ he thought, ’we can’t even cook them. Are we supposed to eat them raw? I’m not a big fan of sashimi.’

’As for starting a fire, Shen Yibin didn’t dare. He’d heard that satellites monitored these old-growth forests now. The glint of a flame would bring the forest rangers down on them in an instant. He had no desire to get arrested; he wanted to find this Mutant Animal as soon as possible.’

After a short rest, Shen Yibin felt some of his strength return. He pulled out his phone and checked the radar again. The orange dot was only about a kilometer away in a straight line.

"Let’s go. We’ll try to find it today before we set up the tent and sleep." Shen Yibin shouldered his large pack again, gave Xiaoliu a heading, and continued toward the next mountain peak with Hah’Er. According to the map, the orange dot was right on top of it.

That’s how it always is with hiking in the mountains: what looks like a short distance in a straight line becomes a torturous, winding path on the ground. To cover that mere one-kilometer straight-line distance, Shen Yibin ended up having to walk seven or eight kilometers.

"We finally made it!" Shen Yibin threw his backpack to the ground and collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily. He pulled two bottles of water from his pack, handed one to Hah’Er, and started chugging his own. As for Xiaoliu, that little guy had been happily munching on various fruits the whole way and wasn’t thirsty at all.

After chugging more than half the bottle in one go, Shen Yibin’s breathing finally evened out. He fished his phone out of his pocket again. "Let’s see if this thing is still here!"

’Damn it! It ran off again!’ According to the radar, the Mutant Animal had indeed moved a considerable distance away. He got up, climbed onto the highest boulder at the summit, and scanned the surroundings, comparing them with his radar. The orange dot had moved to the opposing mountain peak.

’Huh? But there’s a cliff between these two peaks. A normal animal couldn’t cross that easily. Could this one be a bird?’