Pet King

Zhang Zian’s words were gentle but firm, making the girl astonished. She thought she was already asking for the minimum, and that she could get a pet for companionship as easy as that. To her surprise, she was refused.

She was so impressed by the shop owner, who turned away money that he could have made. A thin ray of light shone into her heart’s dark corners.

She was neither upset nor mad. She explained from a different angle. “Owner, please trust me. I really don’t care what kind of pet I get, as long as it’s a cat or dog. I’ll treat it well after I buy it, and I will never give it away to someone else.”

Despite her sincere tone, Zhang Zian didn’t give in easily. He asked her, “Customer, just tell me your situation and your needs. I’ll do my best to analyze it for you––for example, if your neighbors mind any noises from the pet; if your place is rented or bought; if you have enough space at home; your family or roommate’s attitude towards pets; if you have enough time to spend outdoors with the pet; if a cloying pet would interrupt your work or study; your economic condition, etc. The more details you tell me, the better I can analyze if a pet is suitable for you, and what kind of pet suits you best.”

She was a little overwhelmed by the series of questions, and answered slowly after digesting them for a while, “The neighbors have dogs, so they should not mind… My family bought the place for me, and I live alone. My family is in another city… About space, it’s a medium-sized house, so there should be enough space… Outdoor activities…”

When speaking of outdoor activities, she paused and smiled in embarrassment. “I didn’t like outdoor activities in the past, and I preferred to stay at home. I’ll try to be out more often. Well… Economic status… It’s fine, I suppose. I can support myself and a pet. Speaking of pets interrupting my work or study, you can rest assured––I’m buying a pet for companionship. I’d love a cloying pet…”

From her description, she was actually quite suitable to own pets. If she wanted a cloying pet, then a dog would suit her better, but she also mentioned she didn’t like outdoor activities, which was kind of conflicting for having a dog.

Many families, especially young couples, owned dogs because they liked them. They played with the dogs a lot during the day, but always avoided the responsibility of walking the dog outside. Some even argued about it. After all, after a long day of work, everybody knew that sitting on a couch, playing with the phone, or playing video games was much more comfortable.

If they had older people at home, they could delegate walking the dog to the older family members, but young couples didn’t like living with the elderly…

The girl said she didn’t like outdoor activities, but emphasized that she would make an effort to step outside. Zhang Zian was skeptical. Overcoming the habit of laziness was not that easy. She might change for a few days, then go back to her own ways and never step out of the door.

If she insisted on having a pet, Zhang Zian thought a cat was a better choice for her. It was safer, although no cat breed could be as cloying as she wished for. It was still better than betting on the option of falling in love with outdoor activities. The chance was just too low.

After she finished talking, she asked expectantly, “Owner, what kind of pet suits me better? A cat or a dog?”

“A cat, maybe,” Zhang Zian answered, although he was not too sure about it.

“A cat? Well, cats are nice. I like them.” She smiled and looked down at the kittens playing on the floor, then looked up at the grown Abyssinian cats jumping on the shelves. She asked again, “What breed of cats then? What suggestions do you have?”

Her answer was too fast; there was no trace of objection. Zhang Zian was even more uncertain. How could someone be so impulsive about owning pets? He still felt there was something wrong.

“The price range of cats is huge… Anywhere from a few to a dozen thousand. You can choose yourself, according to your economic wellness,” Zhang Zian replied.

“I don’t know how to choose. Owner, pick one for me.” She shook her head decisively and kicked the question back. “A few thousand is fine. A few dozen thousand… I can still afford it if I want to. I don’t buy cats every day, after all.”

Wang Qian, who was pretending to sweep the floor but was actually eavesdropping, coughed to drop a hint. The hint was to pick the most expensive and charge for extra. There must be a way to manipulate the G2 riches!

She didn’t look like a G2 rich to Zhang Zian, neither in outfit nor in temperament. Her conditions were too wide. He had to find a way to narrow them down.

“Customer, do you prefer long hair cats or short hair cats? Long hair cats are nicer to touch, but they need more everyday maintenance. Plus, they shed a lot. Short hair cats are more suitable for the fast paced urban lifestyle nowadays.”

Kittens with long and short hair were not that different from each other. Zhang Zian pointed at Fina and Snowy Lionet as examples, which caused Fina to stare at him angrily.

“Both are fine. I’m not afraid of extra work,” she said.

Zhang Zian didn’t know how to handle her. Did he really have to pick a random cat and sell it to her?

Wang Qian laughed by himself, thinking that the Master had never failed in impressing or convincing the customers. But today, it was his turn to fail. The girl was so good…

“How about this: have you heard of the slogan adopting over buying?” Zhang Zian had to use that as the last resort. He had never even dreamed about selling that slogan to someone one day…

She thought about it. “I think I’ve heard it somewhere.”

“If you don’t have specific preference to certain cat breeds, I recommend adopting one… Adopting over buying has many advantages. First, you’ll save money. Second, you can help reduce the number of stray animals. Third, it promotes social charity. At last, no trade, no harm…” Zhang Zian said, counting his fingers.

He had no better option. There was a hint of sarcasm in it, but she still nodded and said, “Sounds good. Where can I adopt then?”

“There are many ways to adopt. First, you can catch one outside. There are many stray cats out there now. You can pick up one, take it to a vet clinic for fumigation and vaccinations, and then bring it home if it’s healthy––or you can go to a professional adoption agency. I personally recommend one place. It’s the Li’s Supreme Snack Bar for Cat Fanciers on the other side of the street. We have a partnership with them. You can check it out…” Zhang Zian said all of these for one purpose: to transfer his headache to somebody else.