"This is Xiong Mountain, where the original accident occurred. Afterward, we conducted emergency inspections and repairs, and it’s now safe again. Through this incident, Hah’Er even became good friends with this family of three black bears. The moment Hah’Er arrived at the zoo today, it went to visit them." The voice of Dong drifted over from a distance. He had already led the reporters to this spot.

Some of the more sharp-eyed reporters immediately spotted Shen Yibin and swarmed him, firing off a barrage of questions. "Hello, Mr. Shen. Could you tell us what inspired you to use this method to raise funds for the zoo?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Mr. Shen, aren’t you concerned that photo shoots like this might have a negative impact on the panda’s health?"

"It’s been a long time since the ’audition’ ended, and our readers are very concerned about Cheeky’s whereabouts. Could you tell us where it is now, Mr. Shen?"

"Everyone, please, one at a time." Shen Yibin calmly took the microphone. Once the reporters settled down, he began to answer. "The idea for this campaign wasn’t mine; it came from my friend’s advertising agency. You can contact them for more details. The company’s name is the one you see in the bottom-right corner of the photos." Shen Yibin seized the chance to plug Xu Ye’s company. He couldn’t let them work for nothing, right? If not money, they should at least get some recognition.

’If people can benefit from doing charity, then more people will surely get involved, right?’ Shen Yibin’s answer wasn’t solely because of his friendship with Xu Ye.

"As for its health, you don’t need to worry. These photo shoots haven’t affected Hah’Er’s health in any way. The carts, welding torches, and other items are all safe, harmless props that won’t cause any accidents. You can rest assured on that point. Remember, Hah’Er is my personal pet. I care about its health more than anyone." His words immediately sparked a wave of jealousy. ’Damn it, I want to raise a cute Panda as a pet too!’

"As for Cheeky, it’s found a suitable owner—a young woman who is very passionate about music. Cheeky is very happy with her now. If you’re lucky, I believe it won’t be long before you all see it again." Having been in touch for some time, Shen Yibin truly admired Sun Qian’s musical talent. With her abilities and Cheeky’s help, it was only a matter of time before she became a star.

"We just saw the condition of the zoo, and it’s clear it’s in urgent need of renovation. However, from what we understand, the amount of donations has already far exceeded what’s required for the repairs. We’d like to know how you plan to handle the surplus funds?" another reporter asked.

"I’ll answer that question." Dong took the microphone. He began by sincerely thanking all the generous donors, then continued, "We at the Yunzhong City Zoo will provide a detailed list of how these funds are spent, and we welcome the public to hold us accountable. After the renovations are complete, we will also bring in some new animals to provide a better experience for visitors from Yunzhong City and beyond."

"If there are any funds remaining after all that, we will donate them to other zoos and animal protection organizations across the country that are in need. We will also oversee them to ensure the donations are put to good use." Dong spoke with a powerful, resonant voice; you would never guess his age.

The reporters this time were all quite professional; there was no one who pestered him endlessly. After asking their questions and taking a ton of photos of Hah’Er and the three black bears by Xiong Mountain, they departed. Some headed to Xu Ye’s company for an interview, while others began drafting their articles to send back to their news agencies. Shen Yibin was finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet.

Seeing how happy Hah’Er was playing with the three black bears, Shen Yibin decided to stay and scrounge a free lunch at the zoo. He sat watching Hah’Er play with its "cousins"—the family of three—until the afternoon. Only then did he call it out from Xiong Mountain. They got in the car and returned to the pet shop. The moment they stepped inside, Egg, who was wearing a helmet, tackled Hah’Er to the ground, as if complaining about being left behind.

"There are five sets of photos left. I’m planning to release them more frequently. Once they’re all out, we’ll tell everyone online to stop donating. The zoo has enough," Xu Ye said in a message on WeChat.

"Sounds good. Dong is fine managing his own zoo, but we can’t be sure about other places the money might be donated to. It would be bad if something went wrong. Let’s just release the rest of the photos between tonight and tomorrow, and then post the statement," Shen Yibin agreed.

"Right. I’ll post one set at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll post the rest at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. The announcement will go out with the last set," Xu Ye replied. "As for the statement, I’ll go find Director Dong tomorrow and discuss how we should word it."

"Thanks for all your hard work. Come by the shop for dinner tomorrow when you’re finished." ’If it weren’t for Xu Ye’s great idea and cooperation, this whole thing probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.’

"No problem. I’ll bring some good lamb for Hah’Er and Egg tomorrow, and some Amazonian fruit for Cheeky." ’Damn it, you didn’t think of bringing anything for me?’ Shen Yibin felt a pang of annoyance upon reading the reply.

The remaining five photo sets brought the public’s enthusiasm to a fever pitch. In the pictures, Hah’Er was shown twisting wires with pliers, standing on a ladder to patch a roof, or hammering nails... it did almost every common job found on a construction site. But no matter the task, Hah’Er always looked adorable. The spots of "cement" on either side of its nose, in particular, even sparked a new trend.

Many young male celebrities and female influencers tried to replicate the look on their own faces, and they were quickly met with praise from their followers. The "cement dots" rapidly joined the ranks of the "A4 waist" and the "belly button challenge" as a viral internet trend.

When the final announcement was made asking the public to stop donating, it was met with a collective sigh of disappointment. Many people complained that the campaign ended too soon, before they even had a chance to donate. Shen Yibin and Xu Ye could only try to persuade them to donate to other organizations in greater need, but their words had little effect. After all, what other zoo had Hah’Er to champion its cause?

After work that evening, Shen Yibin was in his shop preparing ingredients and waiting for Xu Ye to arrive. He planned to have a good, long drink with him tonight.

Just then, however, his phone rang. It was Qin Qing. "Mr. Shen, I just got word that Director Kong is coming to Yunzhong City tomorrow. Let’s meet at the municipal government building this afternoon."