"The bureau will make arrangements when the time comes." 'Why aren't you all this eager when it comes to actual work!' Shen Dalong thought, frustrated. Now that the matter was settled, he didn't intend to stay any longer. He rose to his feet and said, "Mr. Shen, I sincerely apologize for our actions earlier. But please understand that when a problem comes up, we have to resolve it, and your situation is just so unique." 'It's true,' he mused, 'who would have ever thought someone could legally keep a panda as a pet?'
"It's alright. It's all for work, after all!" Shen Yibin felt a little embarrassed by the formal apology. Besides, he figured he'd probably need to trouble them again in the future, so he quickly showed his understanding.
"We've really troubled you today, Mr. Shen. Now that things are cleared up, we should be going. So sorry to have disturbed you for so long." As they spoke, everyone stood up. Bai Yanni reluctantly tore her gaze away from Hah'Er.
"Let me see you out." Shen Yibin stood up and followed them. 'Sigh, I just hope this doesn't start any rumors that affect business.'
"We'll leave the pets we just bought here for now and pick them up after work." Reaching the door, Shen Dalong felt that something wasn't quite right. The security post hadn't been set up yet. What if, in the meantime... He thought for a moment, then said, "Bai, you and Li stay here in the car and help watch over the place. I'll take He's car back to the bureau."
"Mission accepted!" Bai Yanni and Li were secretly overjoyed. They immediately stood at attention, chests puffed out, and responded. 'Now we'll get another chance to see the panda!'
"I'm sorry to trouble you both, then." 'Sigh, I'm causing them more trouble,' Shen Yibin thought. After Shen Dalong left, Shen Yibin invited Bai Yanni and Li to rest inside the shop several times, but they declined, citing regulations. They parked their police car across the street, their eyes fixed on the pet shop, not even blinking.
"Sigh, you finally have a legal identity now. You must be hungry, huh? I'll go make you some food!" After the whole ordeal, Shen Yibin relaxed considerably. He could already imagine the crowds he'd have to face once the news got out, but at least he wasn't going to jail to pick up the soap, right? 'Might as well enjoy the peace before all that starts.'
"Bai, they both went upstairs. What are they up to?" Li quickly reported to Bai Yanni.
"It's lunchtime, so they probably went to eat," Bai Yanni said, rubbing her stomach. "Li, I'm getting a little hungry myself. Can you order me some takeout? The usual."
"You got it!" After working together for so long, they knew each other's tastes well. He deftly tapped his phone a few times, and the order was placed. But while they were waiting for the food, Li realized something wasn't right. "Hey, Bai, pandas are supposed to eat bamboo, right? I didn't see any bamboo in the shop. Besides, is there even bamboo suitable for pandas anywhere near Yunzhong City?"
"That's a good point," Bai Yanni said, frowning. "And pandas eat a lot. I just looked it up—it costs 300,000 yuan a year just for bamboo to feed one. I never would have guessed... is Shen Yibin secretly a rich man?" Based on her earlier observations, he didn't look like someone who could make over 300,000 a year.
Shen Yibin had no idea he'd sparked another round of speculation, but he was certainly feeling a financial crisis of his own. Buying Hah'Er had cost him 22,222.22 yuan, and he only had a little over 10,000 on his card, leaving him several thousand short. Furthermore, Hah'Er's daily expenses were no small matter. Just keeping the little guy fed for a month would cost several thousand more. Add in rent, utilities, and his own living costs, and he would need to earn at least 30,000 yuan a month just to break even!
The shop had been open for several days, but his total revenue hadn't even passed the 10,000 yuan mark. His profit was even more pitiful. He hadn't had the heart to make much on his first few sales, so he had only cleared a little over a thousand yuan in total—just enough to cover food for himself and Hah'Er for the last few days. 'I have to figure out a way to make money, and fast,' he thought.
After lunch, Shen Yibin opened the shop doors and sat on the sofa with Hah'Er, staring blankly into space. 'What on earth should I do? Maybe I could become a streamer with Hah'Er? He's so adorable, I could probably make a million a month just by livestreaming him sleeping, couldn't I?'
'But... wouldn't that be a little shameless? Have I really fallen so low that I need to depend on Hah'Er to support me?' Shen Yibin felt his face flush, and he quickly dismissed the idea.
'Besides, would Hah'Er even be willing to do it?' Shen Yibin tried to reassure himself. 'Sigh, I should just stick to what I know. Since I've opened this pet shop, I need to make it work. I've already sold a few animals in the first couple of days, so that's a good start. Business will surely pick up from here, right?'
'Right. They'll be picking up their pets after work, which means the shop will be a bit empty. I should call Bao and order a new batch.' With that, Shen Yibin picked up the phone and rattled off the list of animals he needed to Bao.
"Sounds like business is good, eh? Restocking after just a few days? Alright, no problem. I've got it all down. I'll have them delivered before dinner tonight," Bao readily agreed from the other end of the line.
However, the rest of the day was a disaster for Shen Yibin. He didn't know if it was because it was a weekday or because of the police car parked across the street, but from lunchtime until Bao's delivery arrived, not a single customer showed up. Even Mrs. Wang, who usually stopped by, didn't come to see the Siamese Cat. Shen Yibin's fledgling confidence took a massive hit.
"Thanks a lot." Hah'Er happened to be upstairs using the restroom when the delivery arrived, saving Shen Yibin the trouble of an explanation. After confirming the order was correct, Shen Yibin wrote up a receipt, saw the driver out, and settled the newly arrived pets into their enclosures. Then, it was time for dinner.
"Hah'Er, have you had dinner yet?" Bai Yanni came in, greeting Hah'Er first. She played with him for a moment before picking up the pet she had purchased. "Bin, I'm off work now," she said, ready to leave. "But don't worry, the captain already arranged the patrol shifts. You'll be quite safe here."
"Thank you. Sorry for all the trouble." Just as Shen Yibin saw Bai Yanni out the door, he ran into Shen Dalong, who was arriving with his daughter. Despite Shen Dalong's rugged appearance, his daughter was adorable. She looked to be about eleven or twelve, with her hair in a ponytail and delicate, clever features. Apparently aware that her father was getting her a pet, she was beaming with happiness.
"Dad, where's the cat? Is it really as cute as you said?" the little girl chirped, skipping into the shop. Then, she froze. "A... a panda!"