"Alright, Hah’Er, let’s go back. They’re long gone." After a long while, Shen Yibin finally rubbed Hah’Er’s head and led him back into the shop. Shi Gaofei’s departure had left them both dispirited. Shen Yibin couldn’t be bothered to inspect the store, and Hah’Er had lost all interest in climbing trees to play. The two of them went up to the second-floor terrace and flopped listlessly onto the chairs.
’Ah, well, he was bound to leave sooner or later. I should check what I earned this time.’ Shen Yibin sighed softly and took out his phone to check. For selling Shi Gaofei, he had received a commission of 22,222.22 yuan. Adding the 3,838.44 yuan from selling Cheeky to Sun Qian and the 18,888.89 yuan from selling Egg to Sakai Kaori, Shen Yibin’s total commission had now reached 44,949.55 yuan. He was now only 5,050.45 yuan short of the 50,000 yuan total commission required to level up.
’By that logic, as long as the next pet is worth more than 50,504.50 yuan, I’m guaranteed to level up. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?’
"Hah’Er, what kind of animal would you like for a new companion?" Shen Yibin put down his phone and asked, rubbing Hah’Er’s head. ’The little guy looks so dejected. Maybe I should find him a new friend soon?’
"Hmm?" Hah’Er tilted his head, whining softly under his breath. It was impossible to tell what he was trying to say. He was probably still thinking about Shi Gaofei.
"Boss, Officer Bai is here!" Just as his mind was wandering, Xia Shixuan’s voice came from downstairs. He peeked over the railing and saw Bai Yanni, dressed in casual clothes, walking up the stairs.
"Shi Gaofei left?" It seemed Bai Yanni had heard the news, though he didn’t know which of the girls in the shop had told her. "I figured you and Hah’Er would be upset. A friend of mine just opened a fishing spot in the suburbs. How about we go fishing?"
She knew he was unhappy and came all this way just to cheer him up. Shen Yibin was deeply grateful for Bai Yanni’s gesture. Besides, it seemed Hah’Er really did need to get out for some fresh air. The shop’s garden was nice, but it ultimately couldn’t compare to the great outdoors.
"Thank you, Officer Bai. Hah’Er, let’s go." A wave of warmth washed over Shen Yibin. ’It feels so good to be cared for.’ He stood up, took Hah’Er, and went downstairs with Bai Yanni. They got in the car, and with Bai Yanni giving directions, they drove toward the suburbs. In less than an hour, they arrived near a series of fish ponds.
The owner came over to greet Bai Yanni, helped them pick a good spot, had someone prepare the chum, and brought over stools, fishing gear, bait, and a bucket before tactfully taking his leave.
Bai Yanni and Shen Yibin each baited a hook and cast their lines. Hah’Er watched the bobbers on the water’s surface with curiosity, momentarily forgetting his sadness over Shi Gaofei’s departure.
The two of them chatted softly while waiting for a bite. The owner of the fishing spot had really picked a great location for them. Before long, Shen Yibin’s rod started to twitch. He quickly reeled in the line, fighting against the hooked fish. After a battle of wits and will, Shen Yibin finally pulled the fish out of the water.
"OOH!" Hah’Er cried out excitedly at the sight. He scurried over on his short legs, ran in front of Shen Yibin, and tightly hugged the big, foot-long fish. And then... the fish thrashed its tail, smacking Hah’Er squarely in the face twice. Shen Yibin and Bai Yanni burst out laughing. ’This kid’s luck is just too rotten, isn’t it?’
Shen Yibin hurried forward to help Hah’Er unhook the fish and put it in the bucket. Only then did Hah’Er let out an indignant huff, clearly displeased with Shen Yibin for laughing at him.
"My bad! How about you hold the rod this time? When I tell you to pull, you pull!" Shen Yibin quickly apologized and handed the fishing rod to Hah’Er, letting him take control while he watched from the side. This might mean catching fewer fish, but ’what’s that compared to Hah’Er’s happiness?’
They waited for quite a while. Bai Yanni had already caught three fish in a row, but there was no action at all on Hah’Er’s side. He watched her with envy, scratching his head in frustration. Several times, he was tempted to put down his rod and go help Bai Yanni.
"Hah’Er, watch out! Get ready to pull!" Just as Hah’Er turned his head toward Bai Yanni, a dark shadow swam by under the water, and the bobber suddenly plunged down. A fish was about to take the bait, and it looked like a big one!
"EEK!" Hah’Er yelped. He scrambled to his feet and tried to pull on the rod, but he was too flustered. Caught off guard, he couldn’t win the tug-of-war against the big fish. The powerful force from the rod sent him stumbling into the pond. Shen Yibin didn’t have time to save him.
Luckily, Hah’Er already knew how to swim. After a moment of panic, he steadied himself and paddled back to the bank, still clutching the fishing rod tightly in his paws, refusing to let go. Shen Yibin pulled him ashore and helped him haul the big fish in and place it in the bucket.
Hah’Er leaned over the edge of the bucket and stared intently for a moment. Then he raised his head and started grunting and gesturing at Shen Yibin, pointing first to himself, then to the big fish in the bucket, and then back to the pond.
"You want to put it back?" ’Don’t tell me you two became friends through fighting? A case of heroes respecting heroes?’
"YEAH! YEAH!" Hah’Er nodded enthusiastically. Instead of being angry that the big fish had dragged him into the water, he now had a newfound respect for it.
In any case, the point of this outing wasn’t to catch a few fish, but to cheer Hah’Er up. Since he was the one asking, Shen Yibin certainly had no objections. He simply picked up the bucket and released all the fish back into the water.
The relaxing and pleasant afternoon passed quickly. Despite falling into the water, Hah’Er had a wonderful time. By the time they headed back, much of his sadness had faded.
After dinner, the little guy happily ran off to play in the bamboo grove again. ’He really is like a little kid. His moods come and go so quickly.’
Shen Yibin sat on the terrace and shook his head. ’Still, this isn’t a long-term solution. I need to get him a new playmate as soon as possible.’ So, he opened WeChat, found the Future Pet Shop, and typed, "I need to restock."
"Understood. Delivery in half an hour." The Future Pet Shop’s reply was as crisp and efficient as ever.
Half an hour later, Shen Yibin’s phone rang. "The item has been left at your shop’s entrance. Come down and get it!"
He went outside and saw it was just like last time: a tightly sealed box. Judging by how securely it was packaged, what had been delivered was probably another pill, not a live pet.
’Where will I have to go to find this new pet? I hope it’s not as far away as last time.’ Shen Yibin unwrapped the package, placed the pill on the table, and opened the pet radar on his phone.