"Hah’Er, come take a look. Is this your baby?" Shen Yibin joked, waving Hah’Er over and pointing to the panda hamster in the cage.
Panda hamsters, also known as ’cow hamsters’, are a type of Syrian hamster. They get their name from their black-and-white coats. Native to Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, they only officially became pets after being introduced to the United States in 1938. With their distinct black and white fur, they were named for looking a bit like pandas.
"Hmm?" Hah’Er crouched down, lying on the floor to curiously size up the little creature. Its fur was patchy black and white, which did look a bit like his own. But the whiskers on its nose and those two big front teeth, like Ronaldo’s, looked nothing like his. This confused him. He kept scratching his head and scooted closer to the cage, even extending a paw as if wanting to take the panda hamster out for a closer look.
Any ordinary hamster, faced with such a massive creature staring at it, would have probably flattened its ears in terror and curled into a frightened ball. But this one, who knows if it was due to a genetic mutation or because it noticed the similarity in their fur, showed no fear at all. On the contrary, it also shuffled forward a few steps, clutched the bars of the cage, and stared right back at Hah’Er.
"Mmm..." Hah’Er grew even more interested now, and he started to view the little panda hamster with a sense of kinship. He placed his paw on the cage door’s latch and was about to pull it out.
"Hold on, don’t be naughty. You can play with it after we get back." ’This panda hamster hasn’t had its medicine yet,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’What if I let it out and it escapes? A creature this small could vanish without a trace in an instant. Besides, there are plenty of cats in this building. If it got outside, it wouldn’t be the end of the world; with a bit of effort, I could probably catch it again. But if the poor thing had the bad luck to run into a cat and become a midnight snack, it would be too late for tears.’
"Mmm," Hah’Er was surprisingly obedient. He immediately let go of the latch. But in the next moment, he stood up and cradled the hamster cage in his arms, looking for all the world like he planned to take this little fellow home with him.
’Well, that saves Bao and me the trouble of coming up with an excuse,’ Shen Yibin chuckled to himself. ’Hah’Er is so fond of it. Has he really taken this little guy as his own child? Oh well, what’s the big deal? I’ll just let him have an adopted son!’
With the main objective accomplished, the rest was simple. Gao Shu and Li Shiqing had also picked out their pets. The two girls had decent taste; there was nothing wrong with the animals they chose. After offering a brief assessment, Shen Yibin added them to his shopping list.
He then picked out a few more healthy-looking ones, bringing the total to seven or eight. This would temporarily ease the stock situation at the shop. As for the others, he decided he’d come back to pick more after these new arrivals had a chance to rest.
"Bao, this is it for today. I’ll come back for the rest in a couple of days. Can you tally up the total?" Shen Yibin called Bao over. He planned to take them all tonight since they would fit in his car.
"Alright, I’ll save the good ones for you." Pleased with another sale, Bao cheerfully pulled out a calculator and started adding up the cost. "One Golden Retriever, at... two Scottish Folds, priced at..."
With a few taps of the keys, CLICKETY-CLACK, he quickly got the total. "It comes to eighteen thousand one hundred and five. I’ll knock off the change. Just call it an even eighteen thousand! I can have my driver deliver them for you. If you find anything wrong with them when you get back, just bring them in for an exchange."
"No need, they’ll fit in my car. Just have your guys help me load them. As for exchanges, don’t worry about it. I trust my judgment," Shen Yibin replied with a cheerful smile. ’Wait, something’s off,’ he realized. ’Listening to him add it up, it sounds like he didn’t include the panda hamster.’ Shen Yibin quickly pointed at the cage. "Bao, you forgot to add this one to the bill!"
’This little guy is the real reason I came today,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’The other pets were just a cover. Can’t go and get the sideshow but forget the main event.’
"Oh, that? It’s on me. Take it home for Hah’Er to play with! Hey, you know what? They really do look alike." A panda hamster was worth next to nothing, so Bao didn’t give it a second thought. With a grand wave of his hand, he threw it in as a free gift for Shen Yibin.
’Well, you can’t blame me for this,’ Shen Yibin mused. ’Knowing the Future Pet Shop’s pricing, this one panda hamster could end up being worth more than all the other pets combined. Bao, you’re taking a huge loss on this one! But then again, no matter how high the selling price, I only get a ten percent commission. A high cost price is actually worse for me. Getting it for free like this is the best possible outcome.’
"Right? I’m starting to think Hah’Er sees it as his adopted son!" Shen Yibin said with a laugh. "Well, in that case, I won’t stand on ceremony. Next time you make a delivery, let’s have a couple of drinks."
At market price, a panda hamster only costs a few dozen yuan, which was even less than the change Bao had just waived. So, Shen Yibin didn’t press the issue. He’d just make it up to him by cooking a few good dishes next time.
"I’ll hold you to that! And you’re right, after eating at your place, nothing else tastes good. Next time, I’ll be sure to make the delivery myself so I can freeload a proper meal," Bao said, laughing. Shen Yibin’s cooking was truly unforgettable.
A few workers helped carry the cages to the car, but Hah’Er refused to let go of the hamster’s cage, hugging it tightly. He would occasionally communicate with his adopted son with a series of grunts and squeaks, and who knows what they were talking about.
"Thanks, everyone. Bao, I’m heading out now. See you in a couple of days." After thanking Bao and his workers, Shen Yibin returned to his car, started the engine, and was back at the pet shop a short while later.
"Come give us a hand! We need to unload the pets from the car!" Li Shiqing called into the shop, getting Xie Nannan and Xia Shixuan to come out. It was still early, so the two of them hadn’t turned in for the night yet.
The four young women and Shen Yibin worked together, and it wasn’t long before all the new pets were settled in appropriate enclosures. They gave them some food and fresh water. All the while, Hah’Er kept clutching the hamster’s cage, refusing to let anyone else touch it.
"Boss, what’s Hah’Er holding? Why is he being so possessive? He won’t even let me take a look," Xia Shixuan asked curiously.
"That’s his adopted son. Of course he’s protective of him!" Shen Yibin replied with a smile. ’Looks like having this panda hamster around might help ease the loneliness left by Shi Gaofei’s departure,’ he thought.
"Ooh, an adopted son? You know, they really do look a bit alike! Hah’Er, ’fess up. Is this your secret love child? Who’s the poor girl you knocked up?" Xia Shixuan loved this kind of gossip and immediately seized the chance to tease Hah’Er. The other girls burst out laughing.
’Adopted son? What does that mean?’ Hah’Er looked at the panda hamster, utterly bewildered.