Future Pet Shop

The Disney employees' eyes immediately lit up with surprise. Other than serving as Yunzhong City's tourism ambassador, Hah'Er had never taken on any endorsements. The two of them had only intended to build a good relationship with Shen Yibin and Hah'Er on this trip, hoping to negotiate in the future when the time was right. They never expected Shen Yibin to suddenly be so receptive.

They exchanged a look and immediately replied, "As long as Hah'Er is willing, all terms are negotiable." Back in the day, the superstar Britney Spears, a product of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club, had endorsed Pepsi for twenty million US dollars a year, and the price they were willing to offer Hah'Er would certainly exceed that figure. A matter of this magnitude wasn't suitable for discussion in a car, so one of the employees quickly extended an invitation. "Mr. Shen, we've all been out having fun for a whole day, and Hah'Er must be hungry. Why don't we all go to the hotel and talk over a meal?"

"That works, but you'll have to wait a little. I need to cook for Hah'Er soon," Shen Yibin replied after a brief hesitation. "If you don't mind, you're welcome to try my cooking as well!"

"Oh, we couldn't possibly impose! We've long heard about your exquisite culinary skills, Mr. Shen. We never thought we'd have the honor of experiencing them ourselves." It seemed their preparations had been quite thorough; they had even looked up information like this.

They got out of the car and went to Shen Yibin's suite. He made a phone call, and the hotel promptly sent up the freshly prepared ingredients he needed. After pouring the two men a cup of tea, Shen Yibin went to the kitchen to get busy, leaving Hah'Er and Maphario to keep them company. The pair sat cautiously on the sofa, their eyes fixed expectantly on Hah'Er as they constantly texted their boss with the latest updates.

Hmph! Having played all day, Hah'Er was a little hungry. As soon as he sat down, he grabbed an apple from the fruit basket on the coffee table and started munching. After just two bites, he seemed to feel it wasn't quite right, so he picked up two more and offered them to the Disney employees.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" They hadn't been this excited even when their big boss toasted them. They shot to their feet and respectfully accepted the apples from Hah'Er's paws. At the same time, a strange feeling washed over them. 'I'm always the one feeding pets. How did it end up the other way around?'

Seeing them start to eat the apples, Hah'Er nodded with satisfaction. 'Good, as long as you like them. I am a very hospitable panda, after all.' He then casually grabbed his tablet and started watching cartoons. The two employees, on the other hand, were extremely tense. They kept glancing toward the kitchen, wishing Shen Yibin would come out and start negotiating right away. Their boss had just given them the most generous terms via text; if they still couldn't lock down the endorsement contract, their futures at the company were over.

As for replacing them with other negotiators, Disney didn't have the guts. It would take time for a new team to get to the hotel, and they couldn't guarantee Shen Yibin would still be interested in listening to them by then.

Every minute of waiting in the living room was agony for them. They kept running through possible scenarios for the negotiation in their minds, one moment breaking into a delighted smile, the next breaking out in a nervous cold sweat. This caused Hah'Er to keep looking up from his tablet to eye them. 'What in the world is wrong with these two?'

"Alright! The food's ready. It's just a simple meal, so I hope you'll enjoy it." Shen Yibin's voice drifted from the kitchen, rescuing them from their torment.

"Mr. Shen, let us help you bring out the dishes!" They didn't dare treat themselves as actual guests and wait on the sofa to be served. Upon hearing Shen Yibin, they jumped up and rushed into the kitchen to help him carry the food to the dining table. "Mr. Shen, your food smells incredible!"

"Haha, if you like it, be sure to eat plenty," Shen Yibin replied with a smile. He was increasingly fond of seeing the look of satisfaction on people's faces when they tasted his cooking.

"We will, of course." 'Sigh, how could we possibly be in the mood for food right now?' they thought. 'But since Mr. Shen himself said so, we'll have to stuff ourselves even if we're not hungry.'

In no time, five or six dishes were on the table. The two Disney employees, Shen Yibin, Hah'Er, and Maphario sat down and began to eat. Shen Yibin was the first to raise his glass. "Thank you both for all your help. We had a fantastic time today."

"It was our pleasure. It's an honor for us that Hah'Er enjoyed Disneyland." The two men quickly raised their glasses and downed them in one go.

"Come on, let's eat. We can discuss business after we've filled our stomachs," Shen Yibin said, gesturing to the food on the table. He then began to serve Hah'Er and Maphario.

The two men picked up their chopsticks and took a bite. They were instantly captivated by Shen Yibin's incredible cooking. Even though they were hardly in the mood to appreciate a fine meal, the exquisite flavor was impossible to resist. They found themselves involuntarily eating faster, and they gradually started to relax.

He placed a piece of lamb with bitter bamboo shoots in his mouth, closing his eyes to savor the tenderness of the meat and the crispness of the shoots. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and said with admiration, "I've worked at Disney parks all over the world and often eat at well-known local restaurants, including many with three Michelin stars. Mr. Shen, your cooking is every bit as impressive as those top chefs!"

"Well, you could say I was forced into it. This little fella here is an incredibly picky eater," Shen Yibin said, stroking Hah'Er's head affectionately. He was quite used to such praise by now. 'This guy's a massive foodie, but so discerning. How could I possibly feed him if I didn't know how to cook?'

The meal concluded amidst cheerful laughter. Shen Yibin had a hotel attendant come up to clear the table, then led his guests to the living room. They drank tea and chatted casually about recent events, with the two men once again lavishing praise on the box office legend of *Panda Hero*.

Once the attendant had cleared the table and left, the Disney employees could no longer contain themselves. "Mr. Shen, what kind of terms would it take for Hah'Er to become our spokesperson?"

"First, if I want to bring Hah'Er and my other pets to any Disneyland park in the future, you'll need to provide convenient access." 'Only Hah'Er and Maphario had fun this time,' he thought. 'Next time, I'll bring Xiaoliu and Bald Qiang, too.'

"That's no problem at all," one of them immediately responded. "Just give us advance notice, and any Disney park in the world will make all the necessary arrangements for you."

"And second," Shen Yibin continued, "can you move Disneyland to my house?"