Future Pet Shop

"Sigh, let’s just rest for now!" Shen Yibin was now feeling especially nostalgic for his time on the African savanna and in Sokovia. Back then, he had a helicopter and could go wherever he pleased. It was nothing like now, where he had to wait for dawn to continue the search. ’But who knows where this animal will run off to by the time I wake up tomorrow.’

’Forget it. Even with a helicopter, I wouldn’t be able to land in the forest.’ Hadn’t he had to park far away and walk when he went looking for Bald Qiang last time? ’I’m sure I’ll figure something out after I get some sleep.’ Pushing the unpleasant thoughts aside, Shen Yibin began to set up the tent. He took out some dry rations for Hah’Er and Maphario. Xiaoliu had also gathered a pile of fruit, which was more than enough for them.

After eating and taking a couple of sips of Monkey Wine, Shen Yibin wasn’t in a hurry to rest. Instead, he and Hah’Er climbed a large tree, sat on a branch, and enjoyed the pine-scented night breeze while admiring the sunset. A crimson sun painted the western sky red, and the entire forest was bathed in a layer of gold. It was a breathtaking, expansive view. Shen Yibin couldn’t help but pull out his phone, snapping a flurry of photos to post on his Weibo and Moments.

This immediately drew waves of envy from everyone. Sylvie, Xia Shixuan, and Bai Yanni all sent messages asking where Shen Yibin was and telling him he had to bring them along next time so they could also experience the wonders of nature. Wen Yuan also kept asking for more pictures, saying he was finding a lot of inspiration in them.

"I’m in the forest right now with no place to charge my phone. Let’s talk about everything else after I get out." Shen Yibin didn’t dare keep chatting with them; he needed to save his battery to find that Mutant Animal. After sending a quick explanation, he quickly turned off his phone and leaned back against the tree trunk to continue admiring the beautiful mountain scenery.

Hah’Er stared blankly at the lush, green forest, perhaps reminiscing about its cubhood. Xiaoliu let out a long cry as it swung through the trees, maybe recalling its time as the king of Emei Mountain. Even the usually timid Maphario crawled out of Shen Yibin’s arms, nimbly scrambled onto a branch, and painstakingly plucked a few unfamiliar fruits. It seemed to want to take them back to plant. ’I wonder if the trees here can adapt to the climate and soil of Yunzhong City. Then again, with Maphario around, that probably won’t be an issue.’

"Don’t be too envious. In a little while, we’ll be living in the suburbs. There’ll be a forest all around the house, so you’ll have plenty of space to play," Shen Yibin said softly, stroking Hah’Er’s head to comfort it.

"Mmm!" Hah’Er nodded and continued to lie on the tree branch, mouth agape, watching the various animals that faintly appeared and disappeared in the woods. ’Should I go down and play with them?’ it seemed to wonder.

The sun gradually disappeared behind the mountain, and Xiaoliu returned from afar. This time, it ignored the hammock Shen Yibin offered and instead lay down comfortably on a tree branch, planning to sleep just like that. Shen Yibin took Hah’Er and Maphario back to the tent to get some sleep. The occasional wolf howls from the mountain forest didn’t bother him in the slightest.

With Xiaoliu around, there was no need to worry about being disturbed. That was out of the question. Xiaoliu wasn’t drunk today, so it would definitely notice any approaching animal immediately. The Jedi Knight’s Light Saber in its paws was no joke. Although this Light Saber couldn’t shoot lasers, it was forged from high-quality steel, and its killing power was top-notch.

Besides, Shen Yibin had also brought the cat-teaser wand this time. Even if they encountered a beast that Xiaoliu couldn’t handle, as long as it was a feline, he wasn’t afraid. There were also items in the store to deal with other fierce beasts, and he could get his hands on them if he just held out for ten-odd minutes. Moreover, Hah’Er’s combat prowess was not to be underestimated. Any creature that was blind enough to cause trouble would just have to consider itself unlucky.

The mountain night was a little chilly, but it didn’t affect him at all inside his sleeping bag. Before long, Shen Yibin was holding Hah’Er and drifting off to sleep. In his dream, he vaguely saw the orange dot of light jumping incessantly before his eyes. No matter how hard he ran, he couldn’t find it. The two-month deadline was fast approaching, and Shen Yibin still hadn’t caught it and left the forest. He was on the verge of turning into Tarzan.

"So it was just a dream! It scared me half to death!" The morning sun cast its golden light upon the mountaintop, shining into the tent and waking the slumbering Shen Yibin and Hah’Er. He rubbed his eyes and crawled out of his sleeping bag. Yesterday’s exhaustion had completely vanished, and he felt as light as a feather.

"Time to get up! Let’s go down the mountain, wash our faces, and eat. After we eat, we’ll continue looking for that little guy who’s playing hide-and-seek with us." Shen Yibin crawled out of the tent, took out his phone, and turned it back on. He seized the moment to snap a few pictures of the beautiful early morning mountain scenery, then opened the pet radar to have a look.

"What the— It moved again!" Shen Yibin couldn’t help but feel relieved. It was a good thing he hadn’t just relied on his memory and run straight for the opposite mountain peak. If he had exhausted himself getting over there only to find the orange dot had run back, wouldn’t he have died of anger?

The orange dot was now located in the forest to their left. It was much closer than the opposite peak, which would save Shen Yibin a lot of effort.

"Hurry up, eat quickly! We’re heading over there as soon as we’re done," Shen Yibin urged Hah’Er and Xiaoliu repeatedly. He was afraid any delay would give the creature a chance to run off again. If that happened, it would be too late for regrets.

He hastily packed up the tent, stuffed it into his large backpack, and put it on. He jogged down to the foot of the mountain, washed his face in the clear stream, and then gnawed on a couple of compressed biscuits with some mineral water. Shen Yibin then led Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, and the others toward the orange dot. This time, Shen Yibin didn’t let Xiaoliu lead the way, afraid it would make too much noise and scare the creature off.

Fortunately, according to the pet radar, the creature was staying put. Shen Yibin soon got close, weaving through the forest until he was only about fifty meters away.

"Shh! Be quiet, we can’t let it spot us!" Shen Yibin turned back to whisper another reminder. He gently set down his hiking backpack and tiptoed forward.

Hah’Er and Xiaoliu copied him, moving lightly. Maphario, on the other hand, didn’t seem to react. Even if it used all its might, how much noise could it possibly make?

The distance closed. A strange sound gradually reached Shen Yibin’s ears. He heard a THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! that grew louder and louder. ’Could that be the sound of the Mutant Animal?’