Future Pet Shop

"You have a Ph.D.?" Shen Yibin's eyes went wide. He looked Dong up and down, left and right. Dong had dark skin and a muscular build that strained the fabric of his clothes. He didn't look anything like a highly-educated professional with a doctorate! He looked more like a bricklayer.

"I do. What, I don't look the part?" Dong watched Shen Yibin with a half-smile. "Should I go dig out my doctoral diploma and show it to you?"

"No need." 'Man, they say a biology degree will ruin your life, and it looks like zoology is just as tragic,' Shen Yibin thought. 'Given Dong's age, Ph.D.s must have been a rare breed when he graduated, right? Logically, shouldn't he have become a leading academic or a partner at some company? Instead, he ended up in a poor, backwater place like the Yunzhong City Zoo. How depressing. Right, if I ever have kids, I'm definitely not letting them study zoology.'

"Oh, right. Once the research institute is built, besides the species I just mentioned, we might need to temporarily add a few other animals for research." 'Who knows what kind of animals the Future Pet Shop will send over next,' he thought. 'It's best to get this cleared up in advance.'

"As long as they're not exceedingly rare, we can find related research materials in academic journals or online. A bit of dedicated study will give us a general understanding. After all, the fundamentals are all connected. It shouldn't be too much of a problem." Dong nodded, not seeing this as a major obstacle.

"That's good. I have one last request. I'd like to set up a genetics lab within the institute, mainly to study animals with genetic mutations. Is that feasible?" Only now did Shen Yibin bring up his biggest concern. Running all over the world looking for animals wasn't a sustainable solution. Besides, he never knew what kind of animal he was getting until he found it, which left him feeling a bit frustrated. Shen Yibin also wanted to raise some pets that he personally liked, such as chinchillas or huskies.

"That's actually much easier than the other research areas you mentioned. Countries all over the world are currently working on sequencing animal genomes. The relevant methods are quite mature, and the cultivation of talent is ongoing. Whether it's purchasing equipment, recruiting staff, or even publishing papers, it's a lot more straightforward than the other fields you brought up." Unexpectedly, Shen Yibin's biggest worry turned out to be the simplest issue.

From Dong's explanation, Shen Yibin began to get a rough understanding of the field of animal genetic research. In recent years, the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology had greatly promoted the work of whole-genome sequencing. Globally, the whole genomes of over a thousand species of plants and animals had already been sequenced. The participants had published a vast number of papers and produced wave after wave of researchers, turning it into a hot research topic.

As long as Shen Yibin was willing to provide the startup capital, the relevant authorities would surely offer their full support. Once there were research results, there would be no major issues with subsequent funding or manpower.

"But I want to research genetic mutation, not gene sequencing?" Shen Yibin still felt something was off. 'That's not what I was talking about, is it?'

"Gene sequencing is the foundation of studying genetic mutation. If you don't even know what an animal's normal genome is supposed to look like, how can you determine if its genes have mutated?" Dong shot Shen Yibin a look, an expression that clearly said, 'I have nothing to say to an illiterate like you.' Shen Yibin felt a flush of embarrassment.

'Okay, you have a point. I'm speechless.' Shen Yibin nodded in agreement. "Alright then. You draft a plan first, and then I'll have an accounting firm review the budget. Once it's approved, the funds will be released in installments." Dong's character was certainly trustworthy, but proper procedures still had to be followed.

"No problem. When the time comes, if we research anything of value, the authorship rights will belong to the institute and the discoverer, but the patents will be all yours..." Dong was an industry insider, after all, so he understood the rules for this kind of donated research. Although he wasn't sure if they could produce any results, or if those results would be profitable, he still had to state his position clearly. In truth, he also hoped Shen Yibin would get a return on his investment, because only then would it attract more people to invest in the research facility, allowing the institute to grow stronger.

"Okay, then. Give me a call when it's ready, and I'll find someone to help look it over." Among the people Shen Yibin knew, probably only Professor Wu Gui was familiar with this field. He'd inevitably have to trouble him then. 'Hmm, it seems like it's almost time for the breeding season at the Sichuan Giant Panda Base again. If Professor Wu Gui doesn't cooperate, I just won't bring Hah'Er over.'

"It's getting late. I should take Hah'Er back for dinner. I'll come by again when I have time." Shen Yibin said, preparing to get up and leave.

"You came all this way. I have to treat you to a meal." Dong quickly tried to make him stay.

"No, no, I have an appointment with someone else today. Maybe next time." After a moment of back-and-forth, seeing that Shen Yibin was firm, Dong gave up and personally escorted him back to Xiong Mountain.

Back at Xiong Mountain, the father and mother black bears had already eaten their fill. They were lying on a rock again, comfortably rubbing their round, full bellies while sunbathing. The little black bear cub, meanwhile, was roughhousing with Hah'Er nearby. The two little guys were rolling around in a heap, having the time of their lives.

"Hah'Er, time to go home for dinner! We'll come back another time!" Shen Yibin called out from a distance, standing at the entrance.

"Mmmph~" Hah'Er was having a great time. Although there were plenty of pets at the shop, ever since Egg and Bald Qiang left, there weren't many who could roughhouse with it like this. It was rare to meet a playmate like the little black bear who was an even match. Hah'Er was in the middle of having fun and was reluctant to leave.

"It's not like we're never coming back. We don't have much to do lately anyway, so how about we come back tomorrow?" If he hadn't made lunch plans with Hou Longtao and his family, Shen Yibin might have actually stayed.

"Mmph!" Hah'Er seemed to be persuaded and got up to leave, but the little black bear wouldn't have it. Hah'Er at least had Xiaoliu, Bald Qiang, and the others to play with at the shop, but the cub didn't have a single playmate on Xiong Mountain. How could it bear to let Hah'Er go? The little black bear pitifully hugged Hah'Er's hind leg, refusing to let it leave no matter what.

"Uh, Director Dong, do you think it would be possible to let the little black bear out to play for a day?" Shen Yibin couldn't bear to watch and asked hesitantly.