Future Pet Shop

Chapter 224: Returning Home

The hyena crept forward silently, hidden from Hah’Er’s sight. It was just waiting to get within striking distance before launching its attack. But Hah’Er remained completely oblivious, still gazing happily at the large tree.

’Huh? Where did Hah’Er go?’ Shen Yibin had wanted to see what Hah’Er was after, but when he turned around, he couldn’t find him. He scrambled to his feet and scanned the area, instantly spotting the hyena with its green-glowing eyes.

"Hah’Er, watch out!" Shen Yibin’s heart leaped into his throat. He yelled as he sprinted in that direction. He’d forgotten all about the danger, his only thought to rescue Hah’Er from the hyena’s jaws.

The guide and Alfred raised their hunting rifles, but how could they aim and fire in such a rush? Besides, Shen Yibin’s frantic dash was blocking their line of sight.

The hyena seemed to realize it was now or never. Just as it did, Hah’Er heard Shen Yibin’s shout and reflexively turned his head, unwittingly exposing the vital spot on the back of his neck. The hyena lunged forward, then leaped into the air, pouncing for Hah’Er’s neck. As it sailed through the air, it could almost taste fresh blood. ’It has no idea what this animal is, but it looks delicious!’

"Hah’Er, get down!" Shen Yibin was on the verge of tears. ’Why was I so careless? I knew this was the African savanna, fraught with danger, yet I let my guard down and allowed Hah’Er to wander so far off. If anything happens to him, even riddling this hyena with bullets won’t be enough to quell my rage.’

Hah’Er was always lazy and slow, a trait that was usually harmless but was now proving to be fatal. He still hadn’t reacted to Shen Yibin’s shout. It wasn’t until he felt the whoosh of air behind him that he instinctively turned his head. That single movement, however, put him in even greater peril, as it exposed his vulnerable throat right to the hyena.

Shen Yibin’s eyes widened in fury at the sight. But no matter how hard he ran, he knew he couldn’t reach Hah’Er in time. The guide and Alfred placed their fingers on their triggers several times but didn’t dare to shoot. They couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t accidentally hit Shen Yibin, whose position was just terrible.

Sylvie instinctively covered her eyes, unable to bear watching what would happen next. Tears streamed down her face, soaking her veil.

But just as the hyena’s teeth were about to sink into Hah’Er’s throat, a black-and-white shadow shot out from the side. It leaped like a bolt of lightning, tackling the hyena to the ground and snatching Hah’Er back from the jaws of death.

"Shi Gaofei, nice one!" Shen Yibin shouted in exhilaration. Who else could that black shadow be but Pingtou, Shi Gaofei? That pounce had not only saved Hah’Er but also left a massive gash on the hyena’s throat. The unlucky predator had been aiming for another’s throat, only to have its own targeted first.

"GRRR... GRRR..." Shi Gaofei glared furiously at the hyena, planting himself firmly in front of Hah’Er. His expression seemed to say, ’Damn it, I usually can’t be bothered with pathetic weaklings like you, but not only are you ungrateful, you dare to mess with my brother?’

"Kill it!" Shen Yibin couldn’t help but roar. Normally, he would have been worried seeing Shi Gaofei get into a fight with another animal, but right now, his mind was clouded with rage.

Seeing Shen Yibin closing in, and with such a ferocious creature blocking its path, the hyena immediately thought of retreat. It tried to flee, enduring the pain in its throat.

But Shi Gaofei wasn’t about to let it go. Anyone who messes with a Pingtou can expect to be hunted to the ends of the earth. It instantly shot forward, caught up to the hyena, and delivered a vicious swipe right below its tail. The sight made Shen Yibin involuntarily clamp his legs together again.

This hyena was far unluckier than the lion from last time. That lion had only gotten a scratch on its Eggs, but this hyena had its Eggs ripped clean off by Shi Gaofei. It wasn’t just Shen Yibin; even the guide and Alfred shuddered at the sight. That move was simply too vicious.

The hyena let out a piteous howl. The excruciating pain between its legs made it stumble and collapse. It was all over now. Not only did Shi Gaofei rush in to tear and bite, but even Hah’Er had snapped out of his daze. He scrambled over and plopped his rear down right on the hyena’s stomach. Shen Yibin clearly saw a spray of blood fly from the hyena’s mouth.

When it came to actual fighting prowess, it was hard to say who would win in a fight between a hyena and a panda. After all, there were recorded cases of pandas killing wolves just by sitting on them. Hah’Er had simply been caught off guard and hadn’t had time to react. But now that he had, with Shi Gaofei leading the charge, the hyena was in for a one-sided thrashing.

By the time Shen Yibin reached them, the hyena was on its last breath. Hah’Er had stopped his attack and was watching blankly from the side. Shi Gaofei, however, refused to stop his assault, dead set on finishing the hyena off for good.

At last, under Shi Gaofei’s relentless attack, the hyena breathed its last and lay motionless on the ground. Only then did Shi Gaofei retract his claws. Covered in blood, he swaggered over to Hah’Er and let out a cry, as if looking down on the panda’s fighting skills. ’We’re both black-and-white animals, so why are you so damn useless?’

Hah’Er gave two goofy grunts, it was impossible to tell what he meant. He then reached out a paw as if to pat Shi Gaofei’s head. But Shi Gaofei seemed to catch the scent of honey on his paw. The honey badger immediately dropped his proud demeanor, craning his neck to lick Hah’Er’s paw. The sight made Shen Yibin and Sylvie forget the recent danger and burst into laughter.

Back at the hotel, the first order of business was giving both Hah’Er and Shi Gaofei a thorough bath. After dinner, Shen Yibin and Sylvie bought some local specialties at the hotel’s ground-floor mall. They then returned to their room, finished packing, and went to bed early. A long flight awaited them the next day.

「The next morning.」 The hotel car took them to the airport. Sylvie had already handled all of Shi Gaofei’s paperwork and had him vaccinated. From Shen Yibin’s perspective, this was probably overkill. ’I’m sure the medicine from the Future Pet Shop is far more effective than any vaccine,’ he thought. But the vaccination certificates were necessary to ensure a smooth entry into China.

After they got out of the car, travelers in the airport lit up with surprise and delight upon seeing Hah’Er, and started to gather around. But the moment they saw Shi Gaofei next to him, they immediately recoiled. They probably already knew how formidable a Pingtou could be.

"Come on, let’s head back home with me," Shen Yibin said, patting Shi Gaofei’s back. ’Sigh, just please don’t cause any trouble when we get to Yunzhong City.’