Future Pet Shop

Chapter 213: This Animal Sure Can Run

Patrice had already arranged rooms for them. After such a long flight, Sylvie and Shen Yibin were exhausted. So, after escorting them to the hotel, Patrice took his leave. Shen Yibin and Hah’Er hastily showered and went straight to bed, sleeping soundly until a ringing phone woke them.

Heeding Sylvie’s instructions from the phone call, Shen Yibin changed into formal attire and went with Hah’Er and Sylvie to the dinner party. The sumptuous spread of local cuisine at the banquet allowed Shen Yibin and Hah’Er to eat their fill.

Since Sylvie’s visit was a private one, free of any political agenda, the atmosphere at the dinner party was quite amicable. People occasionally came up to greet Hah’Er; such an adorable creature was immensely popular wherever it went.

As Patrice held a high-ranking position, he soon excused himself and departed. Sylvie, however, continued to move among the other guests with practiced ease. She seemed like a completely different person from the star-struck girl in the pet store who lit up at the sight of Hah’Er, and Shen Yibin was thoroughly impressed.

However, Sylvie didn’t much care for this life of socializing with a fake smile. After returning to her room once the banquet ended, she couldn’t help but press him. "Bin, where exactly is that animal you’re looking for? Let’s rest for one night, get over the jet lag, and go look for it first thing tomorrow morning, okay? I’m afraid if we stay here, every day will be as dull as today."

"Okay, I’ll check again when I get back to my room. I’ll give you the address first thing in the morning." With that, Shen Yibin excused himself and took Hah’Er back to his room. He let Hah’Er out on the balcony to admire the beautiful view, then sat down across from him, opened the Pet Radar on his phone, and started searching for the orange dot.

’Huh? Yesterday it seemed to be just over two hundred kilometers northeast of Kinshasa, but now it’s two hundred and thirty kilometers away? This unknown animal can really move!’ The position of the orange dot surprised Shen Yibin slightly. ’Normally, an animal’s territory is pretty limited. How did this one travel so far?’

’Who knows where this thing will run off to by tomorrow morning? I hope it’s a decent size, that would make it easier to spot from the helicopter. If it’s only as big as Cheeky, it’ll be nearly impossible to find in such a vast savanna and jungle.’

’Then again, too big might not work either. If I end up finding an elephant, Rhino, hippo, or crocodile, never mind getting it out of the Congo, a creature that size probably wouldn’t even fit on a commercial flight, would it?’

’Hmm, Hah’Er’s size would be perfect. I could just buy an extra ticket and fly it back. With Sylvie here, I’m sure getting through customs wouldn’t be an issue at all.’

After sleeping the whole way on the plane and then napping again after landing, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er now tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. ’This won’t do,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’If we don’t get our jet lag sorted out, where will we find the energy to search for this animal tomorrow morning?’

In the end, Shen Yibin had no choice but to grab two cans of beer from the fridge—one for himself, and one for Hah’Er. With the help of the alcohol, the two of them finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Sylvie laid out the day’s plan for Shen Yibin. "A guide who knows the area will be here soon to pick us up in a helicopter. Once he’s here, we can go search for the animal. Where is its current location?"

"Let me see." Shen Yibin pulled out his phone again and opened the Pet Radar. He saw that the pet had moved again, from two hundred and thirty kilometers northeast of Kinshasa to two hundred and forty kilometers. The direction had also shifted by a few degrees. ’This thing is certainly elusive,’ he thought.

Taking a map from his bag and comparing it with his phone’s display, Shen Yibin pointed out the location to Sylvie and Alfred. "Here, it should be in this area."

"This area looks like it’s where the savanna meets the desert, so it shouldn’t be as difficult to search as a rainforest." Alfred had clearly done his homework and recognized the location at once. "There are also a few military camps in the vicinity. We should be able to get supplies there, so we won’t have to worry about drinking water or fuel."

"Then I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on you," Shen Yibin said to Alfred. ’I don’t speak the local language and I can’t fly a helicopter. Alfred will probably have to handle all the piloting and communication,’ he thought.

"It’s nothing. I haven’t even had the chance to thank you for looking after the princess," Alfred replied with a smile. "I can tell she has been very happy lately." Though he hadn’t visited the store often, he had been keeping up with Sylvie’s life through other channels.

Whether she was in the pet store or dancing in the city square, Sylvie’s face was always filled with a joyous smile—something Alfred had rarely seen before. He had practically watched her grow up, and seeing her this happy had given him a much more favorable impression of Shen Yibin.

Before long, the helicopter sent by Patrice landed on the hotel rooftop. The guide joined them in the restaurant for breakfast, and afterward, the party of five embarked on their journey to find the special animal.

"The visibility in that area is very open. Once we’re there, we’ll hover in the air first. You use these binoculars to search for it. We’ll land after you’ve found it," the guide explained to Shen Yibin in slightly broken English, handing him a pair of binoculars.

"Thank you very much." Shen Yibin barely managed to understand him and quickly expressed his thanks.

Alfred started the helicopter, and the rotor blades began to spin. A moment later, they ascended into the skies above Kinshasa. The guide pointed out a direction, and the helicopter banked and flew toward his indication.

Before long, the helicopter had left the city and was flying over the vast African savanna. Through the helicopter’s windows, they could occasionally spot animals common to the grasslands, like lions and zebras.

"OOH! OOH! OOH!" This made Hah’Er extremely excited. It kept making surprised noises, pulling at Shen Yibin and Sylvie to come look with it.

Whenever this happened, Alfred would thoughtfully lower the helicopter’s altitude so that Hah’Er and the others could get a better look. Unfortunately, the moment the animals saw the helicopter overhead, they would get spooked and scatter.

The flight went smoothly, and soon they reached the area Shen Yibin had indicated that morning. But when he opened the Pet Radar to check, he discovered the orange dot had moved again.

’Damn, this animal can really move,’ he thought. ’Good thing I came by helicopter. If I were on foot, I’d probably die of exhaustion before I even got close.’