Future Pet Shop

"We're here. The Seven Dwarves Mine Train is ready for you," the staff member said, leading Shen Yibin to the Diamond Mine and apologizing repeatedly. "You can take Hah'Er on now, but it's only for one ride. Things have been a bit too hectic, so we're very sorry. Next time… next time, just give us a call in advance, and you can ride as much as you want."

"It's no problem at all! I'm already incredibly grateful for this! If it weren't for your help, I can't imagine how long I'd have to wait in line!" When Shen Yibin came in earlier, he saw that the park was an absolute sea of people. If he had followed the normal procedure of buying a ticket and getting in line, who knows how long it would have taken to get a turn. 'Oh, that's right,' he corrected himself. 'I wouldn't have even been qualified to get in line. Today's tickets sold out days ago.'

"This way, please." The staff member led Shen Yibin to the Seven Dwarves Mine Train and helped him and Hah'Er get seated. The mine cart was made of wood, metal straps, and nails, a far cry from the roller coasters Shen Yibin was used to. Once they were settled in, the cart slowly lurched forward.

"Hmph! Hmph!" Hah'Er grunted excitedly, his eyes wide. Maphario also poked his head out of Hah'Er's pocket to survey their surroundings. It wasn't long before the cart reached the peak. The broken track ahead and two vultures perched on an abandoned crane made it feel like they had truly arrived at the mountain mine where the dwarves lived.

The mine cart crested the hill and then plunged down the slope, hurtling through the rolling landscape before reaching the depths of the mine. The oncoming wind ruffled Hah'Er's fur, while Maphario gripped the edge of the pocket, not daring to let go. This was way more exciting than their usual joyrides by the lake! Suddenly, brilliant points of light glittered in the darkness, and the scene of the Seven Dwarves at work unfolded before them. They were whistling, humming a tune, and gathering sparkling diamonds, emeralds, and other gems.

"Hmph! Hmph!" The scene, rendered in 3D, made Hah'Er's jaw drop in amazement. He called out unconsciously, seeming to want to stop and get closer to the little dwarves to help them mine for gems.

"Sit still! Don't move, you can't get down here! If you really want to, we'll give them a heads-up next time we're in Shanghai so you can get down there and have a proper look." 'We can only go on one ride this time, so there's definitely no time to get off and explore,' Shen Yibin thought. 'We'll have to see if there's a chance in the future.'

Before any dissatisfaction could even bubble up in Hah'Er, a new scene shattered it. The mine cart drove out of the Diamond Mine tunnel, sped toward the rolling hills, passed through a waterfall, and came to a stop in an adjacent village. There, Snow White and her friends, the Seven Dwarves, were dancing joyfully inside a country cottage.

Hah'Er climbed out of the cart and began to wiggle his hips to their rhythm, clumsily performing the same dance. He grinned so wide it looked like his mouth would split, absolutely overjoyed. Maphario nimbly scrambled onto Hah'Er's big head, stood on top, and started dancing along as well. This scene made the Disney staff's eyes practically sparkle.

"Mr. Shen, would it be all right if we took a few pictures?" a Disney staff member asked tentatively. 'This is fantastic promotional material! Just imagine: if even a panda is having this much fun at our park, why aren't you here yet?'

"Go ahead, but you can't release them publicly without my permission," Shen Yibin said. He was still mulling over that idea from earlier, so he didn't refuse their request. The staff members were overjoyed. They quickly pulled out a camera and started snapping away at Hah'Er. CLICK! CLICK! 'If Mr. Shen agreed to let us take photos, he must be considering a collaboration with us, right?' This discovery made them even happier than just getting a few pictures.

"Alright, we should head to the next spot. Come on, let's go to the Marvel Hero Headquarters." Seeing Robert Downey Jr. and the others at the premiere that day had rekindled Shen Yibin's fascination with the Marvel Hero World, and since the park had all sorts of Marvel exhibits, he couldn't possibly miss this chance.

Once inside the Marvel Hero Headquarters, Shen Yibin saw a complete set of Iron Man Armor. He practically drooled with envy. 'Sigh, if only I had a suit of armor like this,' he thought. 'I'd even take the original Mark-1.'

"Mr. Shen, would you and Hah'Er like to try on the Iron Man Armor? We use virtual technology here that lets you try on Iron Man's high-tech gear." The staff's care was truly impeccable. 'What was there to even think about? Of course, we have to try it!' Following the staff's instructions, Shen Yibin and Hah'Er were fitted with pieces of the virtual high-tech equipment.

Seeing himself clad in the Iron Man Armor, Shen Yibin gave himself a thousand mental likes. He looked ridiculously cool. But the sight of Hah'Er in his armor made him laugh so hard he couldn't close his mouth. The roly-poly Iron Man Armor was just too adorable.

Without a second thought, Shen Yibin immediately pulled out his phone, snapped a few pictures of Hah'Er, and sent them to Robert Downey Jr. "What do you think?" he messaged. "Cooler than you when you're in the armor, right?" Writing that little bit of English wasn't difficult for him.

"Alright, I admit it. I'm now officially the second-coolest Iron Man in history," Robert Downey Jr. quickly replied, with the number one spot obviously going to Hah'Er. "I'm posting these pictures on my social media! Next time you come to the US, give me a call beforehand. I'll take you to try on a real Iron Man Armor."

'Haha, a perk like that?' Shen Yibin eagerly agreed. With *Iron Man 4* about to be released, Hah'Er's photos would definitely provide Marvel Studios with some great hype material, which was why Robert Downey Jr. was so grateful.

After leaving Marvel Hero Headquarters, they hurried over to the Joyful Gathering Association. It was an attraction set on Jungle Island, inhabited by animals from classic Disney animations like *The Forest Prince* and *The Lion King*. Characters such as Meerkat Timon, Monkey King Louis, and Black Bear Baloo—all played by actors in costume—were there to bring laughter to the visitors.

Normally, the visitors were all human, with maybe a few guide dogs at most. But today, Jungle Island received a special guest in Hah'Er, which greatly surprised many of the actors playing the animal characters.

Warthog Pumbaa squatted there, staring dumbly at Hah'Er. Shaman Rafic stood on the Bright Stone Platform, so stunned that he dropped his staff. Even more absurdly, an actress named Meng Meng, who was playing a rabbit, mistook Hah'Er for a new performer. She actually walked over and pinched Hah'Er's cheek. "Are you new here? Why does your costume look so real?"

"Ahem," Shen Yibin coughed and said, "that's because he *is* a real panda!"