"Boss, is this Raccoon Cat for sale?" Ever since that first inquiry, more and more customers seemed to be interested in Egg. The shop had just opened for the day, and an auntie was already here asking about him.

"Of course, but it depends on whether the buyer is a good fit." Shen Yibin gave his usual reply. ’You can buy him, but you have to pass the app’s test.’ Of course, what he actually said was that it depended on getting Egg’s approval.

Just like many times before, the customer took his words as an excuse to drive up the price. The auntie smiled reservedly and said, "Just give me a straightforward price. I think this Raccoon Cat is adorable, I truly like it. As long as you name your price, I absolutely won’t haggle." After all, who wouldn’t like a pet that could bring them wealth? Yes, this was actually Madam Song. If her husband hadn’t made it sound so convincing, she would have never been willing to splurge on a pet.

"One hundred eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred eighty-eight, and eighty-eight cents. If you can accept that price, we can discuss the rest." Shen Yibin didn’t really believe anyone would be willing to spend that much money on Egg. He figured that once he quoted the price, this customer would back down just like the one from yesterday, saving him from having to argue further.

"For such a cute little guy, a hundred and eighty thousand isn’t that expensive. Do you take cards here?" But today was different. The auntie pulled a bank card right out of her purse.

"That’s a hundred and eighty thousand!" Shen Yibin’s jaw dropped in astonishment. ’Are there really that many rich people in the world? Egg isn’t like Cheeky, who has already shown the potential to make big money. Is it really a good deal to spend a hundred and eighty thousand on him?’

"It’s only the cost of a few handbags. I can afford that much," the auntie said, slightly miffed, as if annoyed at being underestimated. In reality, she was extremely apprehensive. ’If this Raccoon Cat isn’t as magical as my husband claims, just wait until I get home and deal with him.’

"Please wait a moment." ’Am I really going to sell Egg this easily?’ he wondered. ’Or maybe this lady saw Egg’s square dancing performance and that’s why she wants to buy him?’ Shen Yibin discreetly took out his phone, opened the affinity test app, and ran a scan. The result was both a relief and a disappointment. He was relieved because the woman’s affinity with Egg didn’t meet the requirement, meaning he could keep Egg for a while longer. The disappointment came from the fact that he was still stuck with the headache of finding Egg a suitable owner.

Coincidentally, Egg was lounging lazily on the sofa at that very moment, not even glancing at the woman. This gave Shen Yibin the perfect excuse. "I’m sorry, but you see, he doesn’t seem to like you. For the pet’s own well-being, we can’t sell him to you. Perhaps you’d like to look at some of the other pets in the shop?"

"What kind of way is that to run a business?" The auntie was instantly displeased. "I’m willing to spend the money, so why won’t you sell? Don’t you get to know a pet slowly after you bring it home? When do they ever click right from the start?"

’Actually, there are,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’Didn’t that rascal Cheeky offer himself up the moment he saw Sun Qian? And wasn’t Hah’Er super clingy when he first saw me?’ But he couldn’t say any of this out loud. He could only keep showering the woman with placating words, trying to persuade her to give up on buying Egg. The auntie, however, refused to back down. She even threatened to file a complaint with the "relevant authorities," absolutely insistent on buying Egg.

The two went back and forth for a long time, but neither could convince the other. In the end, the woman left in a huff. Shen Yibin, however, couldn’t relax. It was obvious this woman wasn’t the type to give up easily. ’She’ll probably be back again soon, won’t she?’

Still, Shen Yibin wasn’t overly concerned. He had managed to get rid of all those wealthy young heirs who’d wanted to buy Cheeky before. This woman probably wouldn’t cause him too much trouble, right?

"I even pulled out my bank card, but that kid still refused to sell." After leaving the shop, the woman didn’t go far before finding Boss Song’s car, opening the door, and hopping in.

"Why?" Boss Song was finding it increasingly difficult to figure Shen Yibin out. "Was it that ’finding a suitable owner’ excuse again?" For the past two days, he had been researching the details of Cheeky’s sale. The more he read, the more convinced he became that this Raccoon Cat, just like that parrot, truly possessed some extraordinary ability. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Yes. Do you think he’s just trying to jack up the price? Should I go back tomorrow and offer more money?" Madam Song said, not ready to give up.

"It probably won’t do much good. Back then, people raised the price for that parrot into the tens of millions, and he still didn’t budge. I suspect there are some real conditions to it. But you should still give it a try." Despite his lack of confidence, Boss Song wanted to try anyway. He instructed, "Don’t go tomorrow, though. That’ll make us look too desperate for this Raccoon Cat. Wait until the day after tomorrow... no, wait, the day after that, then you go try again."

’Sigh, looks like I won’t be doing anything else for the next couple of days. I’ll just have to stake out the entrance. If someone else buys the Raccoon Cat in the meantime, I’ll have to figure out a way to buy it off them at a higher price,’ he thought. "You keep an eye on things from the car. I’m going to grab a bite and use the restroom. I’m settling in for a war of attrition with this guy."

For the next two days, Boss Song hid in his car, keeping a constant watch on Shen Yibin’s pet store. The ordeal of eating and using the restroom was torture enough, not to mention how much money he was spending on parking fees alone.

When the day after the day after tomorrow finally arrived, Boss Song couldn’t wait any longer. He sent his wife to the shop first thing in the morning to find Shen Yibin. "Boss, just name your price. I can add another thirty or fifty thousand, no problem. I really, truly love this Raccoon Cat." ’And the fortune it will bring,’ she left unsaid.

"Ma’am, it’s really not about the money," Shen Yibin said, exasperated. He thought she wouldn’t come back after he’d managed to send her away last time, but here she was again, only a few days later. He felt like he was reliving the time when wealthy tycoons were swarming his shop, trying to buy Cheeky.

"If you don’t sell him to me, I’m going to file a complaint with the consumer protection agency!" Madam Song was getting furious herself. This Raccoon Cat had really put the two of them through the wringer.

After a great deal of pleading and cajoling, Shen Yibin once again managed to persuade Madam Song to leave. But from the unwilling look on her face, he feared she would probably be back in another couple of days.

Shen Yibin hadn’t even recovered from his annoyance when a taxi pulled up to the shop’s entrance. A girl of about eighteen or nineteen, looking faintly weary from her travels, opened the door, pulled out a suitcase, and hurried inside.

Her eyes scanned the shop, and she immediately spotted Egg. "Boss, excuse me... excuse me, is this Raccoon Cat for sale?" the girl asked in slightly stiff Mandarin.

’Huh? What’s going on?’ Shen Yibin was puzzled. ’Has news about Egg already spread overseas?’