"In recent years, appointing well-known figures as city tourism ambassadors has become an extremely effective strategy. It allows us to leverage their social influence and personal charisma to promote the city and its tourism resources." Mayor Wang had clearly done a lot of prep work. He even gave a few examples. "For instance, a few years ago, the famous author Mo Yan became the tourism ambassador for the Capital City after winning his award, the renowned actor Hu Ge serves as Shanghai’s tourism ambassador, and it’s said the Sanya City Government once wanted to invite the famous soccer star Ballack to be their city’s tourism ambassador."

"All of these initiatives have yielded excellent results, improving the cities’ images and driving the development of their local tourism industries. I had considered taking similar measures before, but unfortunately, Yunzhong City hasn’t produced any major celebrities, and inviting a celebrity from elsewhere didn’t seem quite right. So, the matter was put on hold." This was in line with an unwritten rule: a city’s ambassador should either be born or currently living there.

"But now, this news story has shown me an opportunity!" Mayor Wang’s voice suddenly rose, and a photo of Hah’Er and Hou Longtao appeared on the large screen in the conference room. "When it comes to fame and appeal, what celebrity can compete with a panda? It’s not just us Chinese who love pandas; the adoration for them in many foreign countries can only be described as fanatical."

"As long as we can invite this panda to be Yunzhong City’s tourism ambassador and couple it with the right promotional activities, we will undoubtedly boost Yunzhong City’s profile significantly and bring in more tourists." Mayor Wang seemed full of confidence.

"As for this panda’s identity, I’ve already looked into it. He’s the private pet of one of our city’s residents, a Mr. Shen Yibin. So you could say he’s one of Yunzhong City’s own, and he can absolutely represent us." He then recounted the details of Hah’Er’s background. "Finally, if we invite a panda to be the ambassador, we don’t have to worry about him getting into scandals and damaging the city’s image like some celebrities might. You could say there are only upsides and no downsides."

"For the sake of Yunzhong City’s GDP, we must convince Mr. Shen to agree to our proposal." In that moment, Mayor Wang seemed to channel Secretary Li Dakang, sealing the decision with his powerful presence.

And so, by noon the next day, Mayor Wang’s secretary and Hou Longtao’s parents arrived at Shen Yibin’s pet shop at the same time. Hou Longtao’s parents were there to thank Shen Yibin, while the mayor’s secretary, Qin Qing, was there to sound Shen Yibin out.

"Oh, Mr. Hou, hello! Please, come in." Shen Yibin glanced at Hah’Er and Egg lounging on the sofa, then scratched his head and said, "The shop’s a bit of a mess. How about we go sit upstairs?" ’Sigh, the shop really is a bit too small. Once I expand it, these two will have plenty of room to play.’

"No, no, it’s fine! Hah’Er is our family’s savior. We’re happy to sit right here." So, Hou Longtao’s parents sat down next to Hah’Er, his mother gazing at the panda with eyes full of gratitude.

’Huh?’ Shen Yibin had assumed Qin Qing was with the couple, but when they sat down and he remained standing, Shen Yibin realized his mistake. He quickly asked, "Sir, are you here to buy a pet? I can have someone show you around right away."

"No, no, that’s not necessary. I’m here to see Mr. Shen about another matter. Please, you go ahead and talk. Don’t mind me." With that, Qin Qing stepped to the side and began observing the pets in Shen Yibin’s shop.

"If it weren’t for you, Mr. Shen, and Hah’Er yesterday, I can’t imagine how heartbroken we would have been." Thinking about what could have happened, Hou Longtao’s mother couldn’t help but wipe away her tears, thanking Shen Yibin and Hah’Er repeatedly.

"It’s all in the past, so please don’t dwell on it. Just be sure to keep a close eye on your child from now on." Shen Yibin felt rather awkward. The more grateful they were, the more uncomfortable he became. ’Now I finally understand why some people do good deeds anonymously,’ he thought. ’Being thanked so profusely is actually pretty agonizing.’

"Alright, alright, stop crying. Mr. Shen still has a business to run. What kind of impression are you making, carrying on like this?" Hou Longtao’s father chided gently. He then took a red envelope from his bag and handed it over. "We weren’t sure what you’d like, Mr. Shen, so we could only resort to this. We hope it’s not too little. Also, are you free this evening? We’d be honored if you would join us for a simple meal."

"This was all Hah’Er’s doing. I didn’t really do much, so this isn’t necessary, is it?" ’Whoa, judging by the thickness of this envelope, it’s probably a bank card,’ he thought. ’I bet there’s a hefty sum on it.’

The couple wouldn’t hear of it and pushed the red envelope back. "You must, you must. Please, just take it and buy some treats for Hah’Er."

After this went back and forth a few times, Shen Yibin finally relented. He accepted the red envelope and said, "Alright, I’ll accept it and donate it to the zoo. They can use it to repair the guardrails at the Xiong Mountain enclosure to prevent something like this from happening again." ’If I didn’t accept,’ he thought, ’who knows how long they would have kept at it.’

"But as for dinner, I’ll have to decline. You see, I have to prepare food for these guys in a bit," Shen Yibin said, gesturing toward Hah’Er and Egg. "Besides, shouldn’t your son be getting out of school soon? After an experience like that, he’s bound to be a little shaken up. It would be best for you to spend some quality time with him these next few days."

They insisted a few more times, but seeing that Shen Yibin’s stance was firm, they had no choice but to back down. Hou Longtao’s father glanced around at the layout of the shop, already starting to ponder other ways to repay him.

"Since you’re so busy, Mr. Shen, we won’t disturb you any longer. We’ll come visit another day." And with that, Hou Longtao’s parents left.

Qin Qing, who had been standing to the side, took in the entire scene. When he heard Shen Yibin say he would donate the money to the zoo, he couldn’t help but nod. ’It seems this Mr. Shen is a very kind-hearted person,’ he thought. ’In that case, convincing him to let Hah’Er become Yunzhong City’s tourism ambassador shouldn’t be too difficult, right?’

Just as he was pondering this, Shen Yibin returned from seeing Hou Longtao’s parents off. He led Qin Qing to the sofa, had him sit, and poured him a cup of tea.

"Hello, Mr. Shen. I’m Qin Qing, Mayor Wang’s secretary. Here is my identification." Qin Qing immediately introduced himself. "Mayor Wang asked me to express his gratitude to you. Your and Hah’Er’s actions have improved Yunzhong City’s image in the eyes of the entire nation..." Qin Qing started off by piling on the praise.

"The purpose of my visit today is to invite Hah’Er to serve as Yunzhong City’s tourism ambassador. I wonder what your thoughts are on the matter?" After a moment of pleasantries, Qin Qing stated his true purpose.

’Something like that is possible?’ Shen Yibin turned his gaze toward Hah’Er. ’You want this gig, or not?’