Future Pet Shop

Chapter 190: Bin, Come Build a Villa to Live In

"This song isn’t bad," Sun commented. "The vocalization is very different from the traditional method, but the effect in certain parts is surprisingly good. It’s a shame I couldn’t hear it in person, or I’m sure I could have learned even more."

After dinner, Shen Yibin brought out his phone and played the folk song for them again. Thankfully, there were no playback errors this time, and the song finished without a hitch.

"It’s definitely unique. But I’m sure it would sound even better if Sun sang it, right?" Sylvie and Sakai Kaori nodded in agreement, complimenting Sun in the process.

"Director Kong said he’s considering using this song as the theme for the promotional video. When they start recording, I’ll take you to the studio," Shen Yibin said. Since Sun wanted to learn, he was happy to help; it was no trouble at all.

"But if it’s the same singer, it might not be good enough, right?" Cheeky, however, offered a different opinion. "Some of her vocal techniques are indeed impressive, but her overall voice is just average. You can tell she’s had no professional training. She didn’t bring out the song’s full potential."

That wasn’t surprising. The music industry was developing at a breakneck pace, with standards of professionalism rising ever higher. Even a naturally beautiful voice needed professional training to truly shine. The woman who sang this folk song clearly lacked that training. Her voice might be considered decent locally, but to a seasoned critic like Cheeky, who had heard countless professional-grade singers from across the nation, she was nothing special. If she had entered a singing competition, she probably wouldn’t have even made it past the initial auditions.

"Yes, there are definitely a few spots where the vocalization could be better. For example, in the second measure..." With that, Sun launched into an enthusiastic discussion with Cheeky about how to improve the song, leaving Shen Yibin and the others completely baffled.

"You two take your time. I’m going to take Hah’Er and Egg out for a walk to burn off some of that dinner." It was almost time for square dancing. Soon, Mrs. Wang and her troupe would be heading to the Yunzhong City Square Dancing Competition. They were ambitiously aiming to bring home the championship, so they couldn’t afford to be sloppy with their recent training.

It was a shame the roster for the Baiyun Street team had already been submitted; Sylvie and Sakai Kaori wouldn’t have a chance to compete. Otherwise, them helping to win a championship would have made for a great story. ’Still,’ he mused, ’seeing how passionate they are about square dancing, maybe this form of entertainment will spread to Europe and Japan soon. Who knows, maybe one day there’ll be a World Square Dancing Competition. The thought of Egg leading a team in a world championship is just awesome.’

Time flew by as he watched them dance, his mind wandering. The practice ended before he could even finish a pot of tea. Shen Yibin led them back to the shop and began preparing for the next day’s tour.

The next day, they visited another of Yunzhong City’s scenic wonders: a well-preserved karst landscape. The area was a stunning tapestry of geological features—stone pillars, peak clusters, rolling hills, solutional caves, karst lakes, waterfalls, and underground rivers—blending serene beauty with an air of mysterious wonder. It drew clicks of amazement from Shen Yibin and Director Kong. This area hadn’t been developed for tourism before; even Shen Yibin had never visited.

Hah’Er was equally curious about the strangely shaped rocks. One moment, he would poke his head out from a small cavern; the next, he’d be hugging a stone pillar, HUFFING AND PUFFING as he tried to climb it. Then, he lay down by the edge of an underground river inside a cave, staring intently into the water, as if trying to spot any fish.

Director Kong, meanwhile, was snapping photo after photo of Hah’Er’s every expression, his eyes alight with excitement. ’If only he were filming my movie right now,’ he thought, ’this would be perfect.’

Even when they took a break, he refused to put down his camera. Instead, he scrolled through the pictures he’d taken of Hah’Er one by one. The little guy was unbelievably photogenic. These shots were so good they would make people swoon with almost no post-production. His desire to cast Hah’Er in a film burned even hotter.

That afternoon, they went to the hot springs near Shilin. Hah’Er was a little hesitant to get in at first, so Shen Yibin had to drag him along. "Come on, let’s have a soak. I want to see if you’ll turn into a girl in the water. Or maybe a middle-aged man?"

"Mmmph! Mmmph!" Hah’Er struggled for a moment but quickly relaxed. The warm water of the hot spring actually felt quite nice, much better than the bathtub at home.

"Yunzhong City is truly a wonderful place," Director Kong said. "I’m tempted to buy a villa here and come for a vacation whenever I’m not busy." If Director Kong had initially come only for Hah’Er, he had now genuinely grown fond of the city. While Yunzhong couldn’t compare to Xiangjiang in terms of bustling city life, its beautiful natural scenery was something Xiangjiang lacked. It seemed like an excellent choice for a vacation home to use a few months out of the year.

"If you’re interested, Director Kong, you could find a suitable plot of land and build your own. Of course, you couldn’t officially call it a ’villa,’" Qin Qing said vaguely. Approval for new villa developments had been halted nationwide for some time. However, having a celebrity like Director Kong establish a residence in Yunzhong City would be a huge boost to its profile, attracting more tourists. Thus, he was willing to offer some policy-related conveniences.

"Oh? Is that so? Well then, I’ll have to take a good look around over the next few days." Director Kong’s interest was instantly piqued. He understood Qin Qing’s implication perfectly. If they couldn’t build a "villa," they could register it under the guise of a "resort," a "boutique hotel," or even, more directly, apply for it as a necessity for a film production. There were plenty of loopholes.

"Bin, if this really works out, why don’t you build a place too and be my neighbor? I know many famous architects who could definitely design something to meet both your and Hah’Er’s needs." Director Kong was now looking for any opportunity to persuade Shen Yibin.

’With thirty million yuan, building a villa in Yunzhong City would be absolutely no problem,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’Just imagine, a villa for me and Hah’Er, nestled in this beautiful scenery. The two of us, lounging in a private hot spring in the garden, looking down at the Yunshui River... what an incredible life that would be.’ He felt a flicker of temptation.

But it was only a flicker. Hah’Er’s happiness was the most important thing. Shen Yibin wouldn’t give Director Kong an answer so easily, not before the promotional video shoot was finished.

But Director Kong was a crafty veteran who had been in the business for years. He had, of course, noticed the fleeting temptation in Shen Yibin’s eyes. He didn’t press the issue, though. ’As long as he’s tempted, my job is half done,’ he thought. They still had to finish shooting the promotional video, after all. There would be plenty of time to persuade both him and that panda.