Shen Yibin quickly deleted the photos and the Weibo post, but it was too late. The adorable photos of the Panda had already been downloaded and saved by countless people and were being shared on Weibo, in QQ groups, on forums, and across personal blogs. Hah'Er's image was spreading across the internet at the speed of light.
At first, people didn't realize there was anything special about the photos. They either assumed they were new promotional shots from a panda breeding center or thought they were the work of a Photoshop wizard for a video game. Some even guessed they might be stills from a new movie, declaring they would go see it in theaters over and over again just for this Panda. After all, this little guy was way easier on the eyes than any of those pretty-boy idols or starlets!
As a matter of fact, this frenzy also caught the attention of many film companies. While using various channels to find out which company had the resources to hire a Panda for a movie, they also had their teams urgently gather and analyze online public opinion to discuss the feasibility of making a movie starring a Panda. They, too, realized that with the public's immense love for Pandas, such a film was guaranteed to be a surefire hit.
And it wouldn't just be the domestic box office; they could rake in a fortune from overseas, too! Haven't you seen? The combined global box office for the *Kung Fu Panda* movies was almost two billion US dollars. Besides, look at any zoo abroad that has a panda—aren't they always packed with people? Looking at it this way, the movie seemed to have huge potential! If they made it, it was guaranteed to gross a billion at the domestic box office. And overseas? It could easily pull in another three to five hundred million US Dollars.
Numerous film companies were tempted. Looking at the photo of Hah'Er playing on the iPad, they lavished praise on his demeanor. That lazy look perfectly matched the typical image and temperament of a Panda. 'How great would it be if we could get him to be the main character?' Of course, officially green-lighting the project would require a strict process, so it was still too early to talk about this.
"Hah'Er's been exposed, what should I do?!" Shen Yibin typed frantically into the chat box. 'If people find out Hah'Er is in my pet shop, what will happen next? Will the Public Security Bureau arrest me in the middle of the night? Will a SWAT team break down my door to rescue a national treasure? Will I spend the rest of my life in prison?'
The more Shen Yibin thought about it, the more scared he became, until his fingers could barely type. But he didn't dare use voice-to-text; he was in a taxi, after all! If he even uttered the word "panda," the driver would probably call the police immediately.
"Blaming someone else for your own stupidity? If you hadn't been so smug about taking pictures of Hah'Er to show off, none of this would have happened, would it?" The Future Pet Shop's reply was sharp-tongued, taunting Shen Yibin mercilessly.
"I was wrong! I swear I'll never do it again!" Right now, Shen Yibin wanted nothing more than to smash the trouble-making phone. He had originally planned to slowly increase Hah'Er's affinity level, but now it seemed he was out of time.
Shen Yibin was practically begging the Future Pet Shop. Only after a long string of placating words did it finally calm down. "Alright, don't panic just yet. According to my analysis of the current situation, it will be at least three days before the relevant authorities start paying attention to these photos."
"Then how long will it take for them to trace the photos back to me?" Shen Yibin asked, his heart in his throat.
"Oh, the internet technology of your era is still quite primitive. It'll take them a long time to find you." Before Shen Yibin could even feel a sliver of relief, the Future Pet Shop announced the result. "According to my calculations, it should take them... at least half an hour!"
COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! Shen Yibin nearly choked to death on the spot. 'Holy crap, you call half an hour a long time?! My taxi ride back to the shop takes longer than that!'
"Sigh. Who told you to be so dumb and use all your real information when you registered for Weibo? You even have an ad for your pet shop right under your posts, complete with the address and contact information. It'd be hard for them *not* to find you!" The Future Pet Shop sent over a screenshot. On it, Shen Yibin could clearly see his Weibo account watermark on the photos of Hah'Er, now scattered across every corner of the internet.
'Are these people afraid I won't die fast enough?' Tears streamed down Shen Yibin's face. "Please! I'm begging you, give me a way out!"
"What's the rush? You still have three days. As long as you raise the affinity level above the required standard within these three days, you can complete your first purchase and upgrade to a Level 3 Partner. When that happens, I'll help you solve these problems and guarantee you won't be punished." The Future Pet Shop remained nonchalant. After that, no matter how much Shen Yibin begged, it ignored him.
The taxi stopped in front of Shen Yibin's shop. After paying, he quickly got out, rushing back into the shop carrying his many bags. He shut the door and immediately hurried up to his bedroom on the second floor, only to find Hah'Er still obediently watching a movie on the iPad.
*Phew*~ Shen Yibin let out a sigh of relief. 'Looks like this little guy is pretty well-behaved. He didn't run around at all. If I'd come back and couldn't find him, I really would have gone crazy.'
"Mmph! Mmph!" Seeing him return, Hah'Er dropped the tablet, crawled forward a few steps, and hugged his leg, rubbing against it affectionately. Seeing this, Shen Yibin felt his earlier worry and exhaustion hadn't been in vain. 'To be able to raise such an adorable Panda... it seems like all this effort is worth it!'
He was about to say something else when his phone rang again. The pets Bao was sending over had arrived at the door. Shen Yibin quickly closed the door and went downstairs. He helped the driver carry the cats and dogs into the shop, checking each one to confirm they were healthy and had the proper legal paperwork. After getting the little guys settled, he signed the driver's delivery form, saw him off, and then gave Bao a call to confirm their arrival.
By the time he finished, Shen Yibin was completely exhausted. He collapsed onto the sofa to rest for a while, but then his stomach started to rumble. A glance out the window revealed it was already dark outside. It was almost dinnertime.
'Hah'Er must be hungry by now, too,' Shen Yibin thought. He pulled himself up and, using the wall for support, shuffled to the second floor to let Hah'Er out of the room. "Hungry? Just hang on a little longer. I'll go make you something to eat right now!"
"Mmph! Mmph!" Hah'Er nodded his big head nonstop, and Shen Yibin's pant leg was once again soaked with drool.
'Alright, I'll give it a try today. If it doesn't work out, I'll just order takeout.' Shen Yibin took the pork belly, green and red peppers, green garlic, and Pip County Broad Bean Paste he had just bought out of the refrigerator. Then he opened the cookbook he'd bought earlier, ready to try his hand.
"Place skin-on pork belly in a pot of cold water. Add scallion segments, ginger slices, seven or eight peppercorns, and a splash of yellow rice wine. Boil..." Shen Yibin clumsily began to follow the book's instructions, while Hah'Er watched his every move from the side.
In a brief pause from his cooking, Shen Yibin glanced at his phone. It was already 6:30 PM. Half a day had passed since he'd made that Weibo post. A phrase often heard when watching the National Team play popped into Shen Yibin's head—*There's not much time left.*