Future Pet Shop

Shen Yibin wouldn't dare take the two big ones home. Given their size, if they suddenly went berserk, Shen Yibin wouldn't be able to handle them. The little one, however, was different. Judging from its interactions with Hah'Er, it seemed to obey Hah'Er completely. Besides clinging to Hah'Er's leg and refusing to let go, it would do whatever Hah'Er told it to. There probably wouldn't be any trouble if he took it out, and even if something happened, Shen Yibin could handle it. 'All that suffering I endured with Shi Gaofei and Xiaoliu wasn't for nothing, after all.'

"Take it out?" Director Dong hesitated. He wasn't particularly worried that something might happen to the little black bear. If Shen Yibin dared to parade a panda all over town, what was the big deal about adding a small black bear to the mix? However, it wasn't exactly in line with zoo regulations, and Director Dong was old-school, after all. He took such matters very seriously.

"Yes. You see, this little black bear was completely listless until Hah'Er showed up and it perked up a bit. Keeping a little guy like this cooped up in a tiny place like Xiong Mountain isn't good for its physical or mental health. Getting out for some fresh air once in a while would be good for it." Shen Yibin argued from the perspective of the little bear's well-being, trying to persuade Director Dong. He also repeatedly gave his assurance, "I will definitely bring it back before dark. Absolutely nothing will go wrong."

"Alright then. I'll have someone let it out." This reasoning swayed Director Dong. Besides, Shen Yibin had donated a huge amount of money to the zoo, had Hah'Er pose for promotional photos to raise funds, and was now planning to spend two hundred million to establish a research institute. It would be unreasonable for Director Dong to refuse such a small request. Of course, the most important reason was that he had faith in Shen Yibin and believed he would be able to take good care of the little black bear.

"Hah'Er, tell it to come home with us for dinner! We'll bring it back tonight." Having received Director Dong's permission, Shen Yibin shouted from the entrance. He didn't dare go in and get the little black bear himself. If Papa Bear and Mama Bear misunderstood, they would tear him to shreds. It was better to let Hah'Er handle the negotiations.

"Mhm! Mhm!" Hah'Er was instantly delighted to hear that. It nodded repeatedly and trotted over to the two large black bears. After a moment of communication through grunts, squeaks, and gestures, it seemed to gain their consent. They simply watched as Hah'Er led the little black bear out of the Xiong Mountain enclosure.

"Mr. Hou, shall we get going?" Shen Yibin called out to Hou Longtao's family, signaling that it was time to leave. Hah'Er followed behind them, while the little black bear looked nervous, sticking to Hah'Er like glue. It warily sized up Shen Yibin's group, but seemed a bit confused when it looked at Hou Longtao. 'This person smells... a little familiar?'

Visitors kept spotting them along the way. Whenever someone raised a camera, Hah'Er would immediately shield the little black bear, protecting its new companion from being bothered. Fortunately, it was a weekday, so there weren't many people at the zoo. They made it to the parking lot without any incidents.

"You can just follow me," Shen Yibin said after getting Hah'Er and the little black bear into his vehicle. Mr. Hou had driven as well. Shen Yibin then moved to get into the driver's seat.

"Daddy, Daddy, I want to ride in the car with Hah'Er!" Hou Longtao, that silly kid, ignored his family's Mercedes and insisted on riding in Shen Yibin's Wuling Hongguang van.

"Mr. Shen, what do you think?" Mr. Hou asked hesitantly. He was more than willing to let Hou Longtao play with Hah'Er, but adding a little black bear to the equation was a different story. Hou Longtao was an incredibly mischievous boy. If he angered the little bear and it swiped at him, little Longtao's face could be scarred for life. 'How would I find a daughter-in-law then?'

"Not right now. This is the little black bear's first time out, and it probably isn't used to the new environment yet. Let's wait a little longer," Shen Yibin said, sharing the same concern. He denied Hou Longtao's request. The poor boy had no choice but to reluctantly climb back into the Mercedes.

Shen Yibin got back into the driver's seat, started the car, and headed toward his pet shop. The roads weren't too congested, and before long, both vehicles had arrived at the shop's entrance.

"Boss, you're back!" Li Shiqing happened to be seeing a customer out and cheerfully rushed over to greet Shen Yibin. "Huh? Why's Hah'Er sitting in the back today? I'll get the door for you." Before Shen Yibin had a chance to stop her, Li Shiqing opened the rear door. And then... with a THUD, the little black bear tumbled out onto the ground. The poor thing had never been in a car before and had been carsick the entire trip. The moment the door opened, it had tried to bolt out, only to fall neatly on its back with all four paws in the air.

"Nngh!" Seeing what happened, Hah'Er quickly hopped down, helped the little black bear to its feet, and began rubbing the spot where it had fallen, a look of deep concern on its face.

"Boss? This is...?" Li Shiqing was completely baffled. 'Where in the world did a little black bear come from?'

"Oh, it's a guest here at the shop. Help keep an eye on it for me. I'm going to go make lunch for everyone." With that, Shen Yibin led Hou Longtao's family, Hah'Er, and the bear cub into the store. Hah'Er would naturally look after the little bear, so Shen Yibin showed Hou Longtao's family to their seats on the second floor. He asked Xia Shixuan to serve them some tea and let them rest while he went to get busy in the kitchen.

'Um, how exactly am I supposed to take care of this thing?' Li Shiqing wondered, watching the little black bear romping around with Hah'Er by the bamboo grove. Suddenly, she took a sniff of the air and an idea struck her. 'I should probably give you a bath first. You're pretty smelly. If you're going to be at the dinner table later, I might lose my appetite.'

The little black bear had been cooped up in Xiong Mountain all day, so of course it didn't smell pleasant. Li Shiqing cautiously approached, got Hah'Er's attention, pointed at the little bear, then pointed upstairs toward the bedroom. Finally, she started pantomiming the act of taking a bath.

"Mhm!" Hah'Er quickly grasped her meaning. It leaned in to sniff the little black bear and immediately covered its nose. It hadn't noticed the smell before, but now that Li Shiqing had brought it to its attention, it found the odor unbearable.

And so, Li Shiqing led the two little critters to Shen Yibin's bedroom, opened the bathroom door, and herded them inside. A moment later, the sound of a running shower, mixed with the little black bear's pitiful wails, echoed from the bathroom.

Just as the food was being brought to the table, the little black bear finally emerged, radiating the fresh scent of soap. "Hm, nice job. It looks much cuter now," Shen Yibin commented offhandedly. Then, a critical question suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, whose soap did you use to wash it?"

"Yours, of course, Boss!" Li Shiqing blurted out.