Future Pet Shop

"HUFF... PUFF..." Shen Yibin panted heavily as he trudged through the snow. The sun was already setting in the west. He glanced around, found a slightly higher hill, and climbed it to get a better view. Not far away, at the foot of a cliff, he spotted a medium-sized cave. ’If it’s unoccupied,’ he thought, ’I probably won’t have to spend the night out in the open.’

"Hah’Er, go see if you can smell any animals inside," Shen Yibin said, putting down his backpack and calling Hah’Er over. ’Alright, kid. Time to put that keen sense of smell to work.’

Hah’Er stretched his neck out and sniffed the air, then ambled leisurely toward the cave. A moment later, he reached the entrance, not looking the least bit nervous. He turned and waved at Shen Yibin, signaling for him to come inside.

Shen Yibin, however, wasn’t about to be so careless. First, he found two rocks and tossed them inside. Judging from the echo, the cave didn’t seem very deep. Then, standing at the entrance, he switched on his high-powered flashlight and gave the interior a thorough inspection. The cave was only three or four meters deep with nowhere to hide; the entire space was visible at a glance. There were no animals nesting inside.

Only then did Shen Yibin finally relax. He shouldered his large pack and headed into the cave, where he set up his stove to simmer a pot of hot soup. While it cooked, he took out his multi-tool and cut down some branches, weaving them into a makeshift gate. This would prevent other animals from wandering in and disturbing them during the night. He then gathered some dry branches, piled them at the entrance, and lit a small campfire, adding a second layer of security. Finally, he spread out a moisture-proof mat and sat down with Hah’Er and Maphario to happily enjoy the hot soup.

"Sigh. It’s a shame I haven’t seen any wild rabbits or pheasants around. It’d be nice to catch one and get a taste of some game," Shen Yibin lamented while drinking his soup. ’Pandas are technically fierce beasts and should have some hunting skills, but looking at Hah’Er’s fluffy, cotton-ball-like body, he probably couldn’t catch anything. Besides, I wouldn’t feel safe letting him go out on his own. I guess I’ll just have to live with this small regret.’

After dinner, they laid their sleeping bags out on the mat. Warmed by the cozy campfire, the exhausted Shen Yibin and Hah’Er gradually drifted off to sleep. The occasional howl of some unknown animal echoed from outside, but nestled safely in their cave, they felt completely at ease.

Early to bed, early to rise. Shen Yibin woke the next day just as dawn was breaking. The campfire at the entrance had long since died out, leaving only a few red embers glowing in the ash—likely the remnants of last night’s charcoal. The gate outside was still intact, proof that no animals had tried to get in during the night.

He slipped quietly out of his sleeping bag, lit the stove to cook breakfast, and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Once breakfast was ready, Shen Yibin gently woke Hah’Er.

"Hmm?" Hah’Er groggily unzipped his sleeping bag and started to climb out. A blast of cold air immediately shot down his collar, making him shiver. He quickly ducked back inside. After waiting a moment to get used to the temperature, he slowly unzipped the bag again and cautiously emerged.

They pushed open the gate, and the morning sun streamed into the cave. Hah’Er couldn’t help but gasp in awe. The early light blanketed the snowy ground in a layer of gold, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

After breakfast, they packed up their things. Shen Yibin brought in several handfuls of snow to completely smother the campfire embers, making sure to prevent any future accidents. Only then did he lead Hah’Er out of the cave and continue in the direction indicated by the Pet Radar. According to the map, they had to cross a small hill and a creek to reach the orange dot. ’Luckily, this creature’s territory doesn’t seem to be very large. It hasn’t moved far since I first detected it, so we shouldn’t be making this trip for nothing.’

"Ngh!" After huffing and puffing his way to the top of the small hill, Hah’Er plopped down onto the snow, clearly unwilling to take another step. He glanced down the slope; it was covered in a thick blanket of snow with no rocks in sight. With that, Hah’Er tucked his head and simply rolled all the way down. Shen Yibin shook his head. He couldn’t exactly roll, but he could slide. A moment later, two fresh tracks marked the snow as both he and Hah’Er reached the bottom of the hill.

A short walk from the bottom of the hill brought them to the bank of a creek. Looking around, Shen Yibin saw that a large tree had conveniently fallen across the water nearby, forming a natural bridge. He climbed onto the trunk and shimmied across on all fours. The old tree was covered in slick moss, and falling into the frigid winter water was no joke. It was better not to risk walking upright. Using all fours might have looked undignified, but it was infinitely safer.

"Alright, it’s just a few hundred meters more! Let’s rest for a bit, then we’ll make a final push!" Shen Yibin announced, panting heavily. He took out his flask for a swig. A warm current immediately flowed from his throat down to his stomach, spreading out to his limbs and restoring some of his flagging energy.

"Ready to go?" After a few sips from his flask and a short rest, Shen Yibin felt some of his strength return. He was ready to move again.

"Ngh!" Hah’Er tugged at his face mask, which was making it a little hard to breathe. It had become a habit of his ever since they’d arrived in the Northeast. Hearing Shen Yibin’s call, Hah’Er wobbled to his feet, then dropped to the ground and began to slowly crawl forward.

"Not much farther. Hang in there, we’re almost there," Shen Yibin said, adjusting his backpack straps. He pulled his phone from his pocket to check the Pet Radar. The orange dot was still just ahead and wasn’t moving around, which was a relief. However, a new problem immediately presented itself. Just ahead was a small, snow-covered mountain. ’I’m bundled up so tightly in this down jacket that my movements are sluggish, and it’s already hard to walk in the snow,’ he thought. ’Trying to catch that Mutant Animal in a place like this won’t be easy.’

’But I can’t just give up because it’s difficult,’ he reasoned. ’At worst, I’ll see what kind of animal it is first, then figure out how to catch it. Who knows? Maybe it’s a glutton, just like Shi Gaofei was.’

"Hah’Er, stop." They were getting closer and closer to the orange dot. Shen Yibin stopped Hah’Er and gently set his backpack on the ground. He stretched his arms and legs, enjoying the wonderful feeling of being unburdened. Then, he began to creep silently up the slope.

Before he even reached the top, a white shadow flashed across the summit. In that split second, Shen Yibin got a clear look at the creature. "Holy crap! A Flying Snow Fox!"