Future Pet Shop

"Bin, where are you...? You’re off the plane and on the jet bridge? Don’t come out just yet, the exit is completely swamped with fans. Wait in the corridor for a bit. I’ll send someone in to get you, and we’ll use a special passageway to get out!" Shen Yibin had just gotten off the plane and turned on his phone when he received a call from Director Kong.

"Hah’Er, let’s just rest here for a bit!" Well, upon hearing about the swarm of fans, Shen Yibin didn’t dare go out either. He and Hah’Er sat down on the steps, leaning against the glass window. Before long, Director Kong’s assistant and some airport staff hurried over. They led them through a winding series of passages, bypassing the main passenger exit and arriving at the parking garage.

"Chubby, what are you looking at over there for? I’m over here!" Just as they were looking around the parking garage, there was a flutter of wings, and Cheeky landed on Hah’Er’s shoulder, its tone as insufferably smug as ever.

"Mmm!" Hah’Er was long used to its tone and didn’t get angry. He just grinned dopily and responded, then reached a paw into his pocket and rummaged around, apparently looking for a snack for Cheeky. He didn’t have any fruit this time, but his pocket still contained the nut brittle he had prepared for Maphario. He grabbed a few pieces and offered them to Cheeky.

"What is this stuff? Why does it look so ugly?" Despite its words, Cheeky didn’t hesitate to take a couple of bites, perfectly demonstrating what it means for your body to betray your words.

"Bin, long time no see!" A fragrant scent wafted by as Sun Qian appeared before Shen Yibin. She opened her arms slightly, as if to hug him, but she shied away as she got closer. Instead, she bent down to hug Hah’Er. "Hah’Er, you seem to have gotten a little chubbier again! Even though Bin’s cooking is delicious, you can’t overeat!"

"Hmph~" Hah’Er was quite displeased by this. He patted his belly as if to say, ’I’m still skinny! You must be mistaken to say I’m fat. I just got weighed before coming, and I’m only five pounds heavier than when we finished filming.’

"Will you two be performing the theme song at the premiere?" Shen Yibin asked, looking at them. To be honest, he hadn’t even heard the final version of the song yet.

"Yes, Phoenix is here too. I’ve been practicing with her recently and have learned a lot of useful things," Sun Qian said with natural grace. Shen Yibin vaguely sensed that she had changed quite a bit since the last time they met. At the very least, she was much more confident; compared to the young girl who had just arrived at his shop, she was almost like a completely different person.

This made Shen Yibin feel very gratified. ’Looks like my pet store has brought changes to many people’s lives, and all for the better. Opening this shop has really been worth it.’

"Bin, get in the van, quick! If the fans find us, we won’t be able to leave!" Director Kong’s voice broke Shen Yibin’s train of thought. Without another word, he pulled Shen Yibin by the arm and into the minivan. The moment the vehicle started, Director Kong’s expression immediately changed. "Um... Bin, did you happen to bring... you know what."

"Here, they’re in the bag. I brought a few bottles this time. One for you, one for Sun Qian, and one for Phoenix to thank her for taking care of Sun Qian all this time. The last one is for our celebration after the premiere!" ’This guy is clearly just dying for some Monkey Wine.’

"Bin..." Sun Qian’s eyes grew a little misty. She hadn’t expected Shen Yibin to have set a bottle aside for Phoenix. It was obvious he was doing it to help her build a good relationship. ’It feels so good to have someone care about you.’

"Bin, I heard Phoenix prefers red wine. How about I give her a few bottles of vintage Mouton, and you can just give me her bottle of Monkey Wine?" Director Kong was still trying to haggle with Shen Yibin.

"Who told you that? Phoenix and I split half a bottle of Monkey Wine last time, and she loved it. As if she’d agree to trade it for Mouton wine." This was the wine Bin had prepared for her, and Sun Qian had no intention of letting it end up in Director Kong’s stomach. She jumped in before Shen Yibin could even respond.

"Haha, I was just kidding! Forget I said anything." Director Kong’s little scheme had been exposed. He quickly tried to diffuse the awkwardness with a laugh. They spent the rest of the ride catching up, and soon they arrived at the hotel. There, Shen Yibin finally met Phoenix, the one who would be performing with Sun Qian and Cheeky. She was a young, beautiful blonde woman. Despite being an internationally renowned superstar, when she saw Hah’Er, she reacted just like any other fan. Her eyes sparkled, she kept calling out "Panda! Panda!", and she rushed forward, wanting to hug him but a little afraid Hah’Er wouldn’t like it.

"Hah’Er, this is my new friend, Phoenix," Sun Qian said, introducing them.

"Mmm!" Hearing this, Hah’Er immediately opened his arms wide, as if to say, ’Any friend of Qianqian’s is a friend of mine.’

"He’s so adorable!" Phoenix excitedly crouched down and gave Hah’Er a gentle hug, muttering the whole time, "Aha, when Director Kong sent me the invitation, my agent thought the pay was too low and didn’t want to accept. But as soon as I knew I’d get to meet the Panda, I agreed immediately. Now my dream has finally come true!"

Without a second thought, she pulled out her phone and snapped a whole bunch of selfies. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. "I’m going to post these pictures on my social media account! I’m so incredibly happy right now!"

’This was a megastar, but she completely lost her composure at the sight of Hah’Er. These photos are sure to attract even more fans to the movie, right? Isn’t this what you call free publicity?’

’Oh right, I also posted a photo of the Totem Pole before getting on the plane. I wonder what the fans’ reactions are?’ Shen Yibin immediately pulled out his phone, logged into Weibo, and started scrolling.

Just as he expected, the panda statue towering above the clouds had captured the attention of countless fans. "Panda Hero" and "Panda Statue" had already entered Weibo’s top ten trending topics in a short amount of time. Shen Yibin had effortlessly stirred up another online frenzy.

Then, he saw the latest news from the official "Panda Hero" Weibo account. According to the official announcement, after "Panda Hero" was officially released, Hah’Er would personally visit the five cities with the highest box office sales to hold fan appreciation events—two in the country and three abroad. Right before the premiere, the marketing department had played another trump card.

This was something Director Kong and Shen Yibin had already agreed upon. He believed that in order to lure Hah’Er to their city, fans would definitely go to the theaters again and again to contribute to the box office.

「And so, amidst everyone’s eager anticipation, the time for the premiere finally arrived.」