Future Pet Shop

The moment the power came on and the freezer was switched on, a blast of cold air WHOOSHED out of the open door. Shen Yibin, standing at a distance, shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. Hah’Er, Maphario, and Xiaoliu also quickly scurried far away. Scarf, however, was ecstatic. With a WHOOSH, it leaped off the table, dove headfirst into the freezer, and lay down blissfully, completely ignoring the ice cream.

"Boss, is this really okay? Won’t Scarf freeze?" Li Shiqing asked, holding a half-eaten carton of ice cream. She walked dazedly to the front of the freezer and took a look, and the displayed temperature stunned her. ’Holy crap, negative eighteen degrees Celsius! This poor little fox isn’t going to freeze to death, is it?’

"It’s fine. It’s used to it," Shen Yibin replied with a shrug. "Snow Foxes live in the Arctic Circle. Even during the warmest time of the year, the temperature is below negative eight degrees Celsius. The rest of the time, it stays between negative twenty and negative forty degrees. A mere negative eighteen degrees right now is nothing—it’s not even as cold as it was in the Northeast Forest a couple of days ago. Scarf can handle it perfectly."

"Uh, it seems like not only does it not mind the cold, but it’s actually enjoying it?" Li Shiqing peered into the freezer. She saw Scarf curled up into a ball, its head resting on its tail, eyes squinted in pure comfort.

"Could you go find some cotton cloth or something? Lying directly on the freezer’s plastic shell isn’t ideal. Some padding would probably be better." ’Since you like it so much, I might as well add some furniture to your new home, right?’ Shen Yibin got up, went back to the car, and hauled up all the things he’d bought from Hou Longtao’s toy store.

He opened the backpack, revealing all sorts of toy furniture. First, he placed the small bed in a corner of the freezer. ’Damn, it’s so freaking cold! My hand was only in there for a second and I can’t take it anymore. I’d better go find some gloves!’ By the time Shen Yibin returned with gloves, Li Shiqing had also found a suitable piece of cotton cloth. Shen Yibin spread the cloth on the little bed, then picked up Scarf and placed it on top. The soft, warm little bed was much more comfortable than the cold, hard plastic of the freezer. Scarf let out a contented hum.

"Here, this is your food bowl. I’ll put some snacks in here for you. If you get hungry, you can have a little, but don’t be too greedy. You still have to eat your regular meals." Shen Yibin then grabbed a handful of berries and put them in the small bowl. He also unwrapped and tossed in two ice cream bars. After all, they wouldn’t melt in the freezer.

’A bed, a food bowl... what else is missing?’ Shen Yibin stroked his chin, pondering. ’A bathroom? Uh, better not. I can’t have it doing its business in the freezer. It’d be a huge pain to clean if it gets dirty. I should teach it to use the toilet first!’ So, Shen Yibin picked Scarf up again. As it left the freezer, the little creature let out a mournful whimper, looking as if life had lost all meaning. Shen Yibin felt a pang of pity.

But what needed to be learned had to be learned. He carried Scarf to the bathroom and explained things to it patiently. Scarf quickly understood what Shen Yibin meant and took care of its business in the toilet. In a flash, it shot past Shen Yibin like a white bolt of lightning and darted back into the freezer.

To Scarf, the world outside the freezer was as unbearable as a scorching hell. Its arrival in Yunzhong City was probably like Shen Yibin being dropped in the Sahara Desert. Getting into the freezer was like a traveler in the desert finding a cool oasis. Once inside, it never wanted to come out again, wishing it could stay there for all eternity.

’Sigh, you can just stay put for now. I’ll keep adding more things for you. Here, this is a cup for water. Let me pour you some... uh, on second thought, never mind. Even hot water would turn into a block of ice in a few minutes. Better to leave it outside and let it come out when it wants a drink! Hmm, in that case, maybe the berries aren’t a good idea either? How can it eat them if they’re frozen solid?’ Shen Yibin quickly took the berries out, but unfortunately, they had already started to harden in that short time.

’Good thing I was prepared.’ Shen Yibin then opened the adjacent door. The area where Scarf was sleeping was the freezer compartment, where the temperature would be maintained at around negative seventeen or eighteen degrees Celsius. Next to it was a small refrigerator compartment, kept at three degrees Celsius. ’The food can go in here. Scarf can just come over when it wants to eat. With its intelligence, it won’t take long to learn.’

Wearing gloves, Shen Yibin continuously stuffed all kinds of toys into Scarf’s bedroom until it was completely furnished. The adjacent refrigerator compartment was converted into a pantry, filled with its favorite snacks.

"Alright, all done! This is your home now!" Shen Yibin clapped his hands, stretched his aching back, and stood up. He went back to the sofa, sat down, and sipped his tea while admiring his latest handiwork. ’This custom-built ice cottage for Scarf is actually pretty nice.’

’Sigh, ever since I got involved with the Future Pet Shop, you’re the pet I’ve spent the most effort on housing. Xiaoliu was over the moon with just a hammock. Maphario sleeps in a bird’s nest that Cheeky used to use. Bald Qiang’s villa is luxurious, but he painstakingly built it himself, one branch at a time; all I did was buy some materials. Hah’Er and Shi Gaofei just got little beds. I’ve definitely spent the most effort on you!’

After finishing his tea, the fatigue from all his earlier efforts had subsided. Shen Yibin went into the kitchen and started preparing dinner. It didn’t take long for him to whip up a whole table full of dishes, a few of which were inspired by Northeast Chinese cuisine. When the food was served, everyone ate with nonstop praise.

Scarf also emerged from its ice cottage. Shen Yibin picked out some fish, shellfish, and bird eggs that Snow Foxes like to eat and placed them in its food bowl. Scarf imitated Hah’Er and Xiaoliu, perching on a chair and holding its bowl to eat.

"I’ve seen friends who have ferrets and foxes before, but I’ve never seen one as beautiful as Scarf." During dinner, the girls kept glancing over at Scarf, sighing in admiration.

’Can’t be helped. Scarf is just that beautiful. Women are visual creatures; they can’t help but pay more attention to pretty things.’ After dinner, they weren’t in any hurry to leave. Instead, they gathered around Scarf to play with it.

’Hiding in the freezer all the time isn’t a long-term solution. You need to get out and exercise, right?’ Shen Yibin was a little worried the little guy might get sick from lack of exercise. So after they had rested, he picked Scarf up and said, "Come on, I’ll take you out to play!"

’Because of the urban heat island effect, the city is warmer than the suburbs. I’ll take it for a drive in the countryside. I just hope the little fella doesn’t pass out from the heat!’ With that, Shen Yibin got in his car and drove toward his estate.