Chapter 472: How Did These Two Hook Up?
’No way. Xia Shixuan told me you were a real player, that you could get any girl you wanted. I never thought you’d go after birds, too? You’ve only been here a few days and you’ve already hooked up with Marc?’ Shen Yibin was speechless. ’Truly, a capable man has abilities beyond the reach of ordinary people. We common folk can only look on in envy.’
’Sigh. When I get back, I should check their compatibility score. If it’s high enough, that’s actually a good thing. It’ll save me the trouble of taking Marc around to find a suitable owner in the future.’ Shen Yibin had originally planned to take Marc to various sculpture exhibitions and visit the sculpture departments of major art academies after the Totem Pole was finished. ’Looks like that won’t be necessary now.’
"Boss Shen, is this woodpecker of yours for sale?" As it turned out, they hadn’t gotten far after getting in the car when Mr. Long Sheng spoke up, asking this as he pulled out a box, took out a mealworm, and fed it to Marc.
"What? You like Marc?" ’Huh, why does that sound so gay?’ Shen Yibin found it incredibly awkward. ’But I can’t blame anyone else. Who was the one who gave a woodpecker such a masculine name in the first place?’
"Yes, this is my line of work, after all. The more time I spend with Marc, the more I realize how exquisite its sculpting skills are." Mr. Long Sheng dropped his usual devil-may-care tone and spoke with great sincerity. "And I think it likes me too. It seems very satisfied with my painting techniques. We’ll definitely become the dream team of the sculpting world. If you’re willing to sell, I’ll pay any price." ’But a woodpecker like this must be very expensive, right? I’ve never been in the habit of saving money. What if I can’t afford it? Am I going to have to borrow money?’
’To be honest, if Mr. Long Sheng were willing to ask, he could definitely get a large sum of cash from his female admirers. It’s just that his integrity isn’t completely gone yet; he’d never do something like that. Alright, if I’m short on cash then, I’ll just borrow a little from Shi Xuan. Then I’ll work hard and take on more jobs to pay her back as soon as possible.’
’Sigh, it seems familiarity really does breed fondness. Marc and Mr. Long Sheng got to know each other through work, grew to admire each other’s skills, and then slowly hooked up.’ Shen Yibin had already pieced together in his head the story of how they got together.
"Let’s just focus on finishing the job at hand. When the time comes, if it really wants to go with you, I certainly won’t object. I’d be happy to see it go to a good home, wouldn’t I?" There was still some time before the two-month deadline, so Shen Yibin wasn’t in a hurry. Judging from Marc’s application, its compatibility score with Mr. Long Sheng had probably already surpassed eighty.
"Alrighty then, thank you, Boss Shen!" ’As long as he’s agreed, that’s what matters. I don’t mind waiting a few more days. Even if he agreed right now, I’m afraid I don’t have the money to buy it. This gives me just the time I need to raise the funds. Should I sell my previous works?’ Mr. Long Sheng began to think of ways to raise money.
"Mr. Long Sheng, come help me move these buckets to the kitchen!" Arriving at Xu Ye’s villa, Shen Yibin called out to Mr. Long Sheng. They carried their catch from the Yunshui River into the kitchen, and Shen Yibin took the opportunity to test their compatibility score. It was exactly eighty-two, perfectly meeting the purchase requirement.
’Mr. Long Sheng scored quite high in professional skills and pet care. His only weakness was his financial situation. The guy used to have a habit of spending whatever he earned, but he’ll probably have to change after buying Marc. Marc should be able to live a good life with him, right? The only thing to worry about now is whether he can scrape together the money to buy Marc. If he can’t, then I’ll do what I did with Sun Qian and let him work off his debt. My manor could use some artistic embellishments, so I’ll just give him that job.’
Shen Yibin quickly made up his mind. And so, the plan to sell Marc was happily decided. Now all he had to do was wait for the two-month period to end, and he would have sold another pet.
"Here, try this. Salt-and-pepper bamboo worms. I made them specially for you." Shen Yibin placed a plate of bamboo worms in front of Marc. ’It’ll be leaving soon. I should make it a few more good meals before it goes.’
"Mr. Shen, people eat these things?" Lance couldn’t help but shudder. Shen Yibin’s previous dishes had been irresistible, but today’s was something he just couldn’t accept!
"You can give it a try. It’s actually quite delicious." Shen Yibin was understanding. The ingredients and appearance of this dish were indeed a bit hard for the average person to stomach. Even the girls at the shop took a long time to get used to it.
"I’ll give it a try!" Seeing Xia Shixuan and Li Shiqing dive in without hesitation, Lance boldly picked one up with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. After that, he couldn’t stop!
Eventually, even Mr. Long Sheng got angry. "Mr. Lance, Boss Shen made this specially for Marc! It’s one thing to have a taste, but you can’t eat so much that Marc doesn’t get its fill, can you?" With that, he pulled the plate over to his side, refusing to let anyone else have any more.
Lance sheepishly put down his chopsticks and licked his lips. They were a bit addictive, and he hadn’t been able to control himself. However, the fried small fish, black fish soup with bamboo shoots, and steamed river crab were just as delicious, and he quickly found new favorites.
The next day, Shen Yibin took Hah’Er, Mr. Long Sheng, and the others up in the elevator and watched the interaction between the sculptor and Marc the whole time. The two of them were like a pair of illicit lovers: one moment, Mr. Long Sheng would go over to praise Marc’s sculpting skills; the next, Marc would fly over to chirp its approval of a newly painted section. It looked for all the world like a fiery affair, just like when Cheeky first met Sun Qian—they wanted to be stuck together twenty-four hours a day.
’Ugh, this is painful to watch. I’d better go back down and catch fish with Hah’Er and Xiaoliu. We’ll have a barbecue by the river for lunch!’ After watching for a little while, Shen Yibin couldn’t take it anymore.
For the next few days, Shen Yibin took Hah’Er and the others to the suburbs to hide from their crazed fans. They passed the time either by going down to the river to catch fish and crabs, or by watering and fertilizing the Heaven-Reaching Tree saplings in the garden. Occasionally, they would even take a trip into the forest. Their days were carefree and leisurely.
But Shen Yibin still had a lot of things to take care of. Soon, Director Kong called. It was time to go on a worldwide tour to thank the movie fans. Coincidentally, the negotiations with Disney had also concluded, and Shen Yibin could now take Hah’Er to sign the contract.
And so, Shen Yibin, along with Hah’Er and Maphario, boarded a flight to Shanghai once again. This time, Lance left with them as well. His inspection and preliminary design work were finished; the next step was the official construction.