Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Under normal circumstances, Wang Qian, Li Kun, and Lu Yiyun were able to cope with ordinary customers. There was no need to specifically ask for Zhang Zian to head downstairs, but since Richard had specially flown upstairs to call him, it meant that they had encountered a customer with special request––or it might be an acquaintance there to look for him.
Zhang Zian went downstairs and saw a girl who looked about 27 to 28 years old walking into the store, seemingly interested in the pets in the shop.
Lu Yiyun sat behind the cash register as she worked on the summary of the previous day’s business report. Wang Qian was sweeping the floor with a broom, and when he saw Zhang Zian, he quietly went up to him.
“What is it?” Zhang Zian asked softly.
Wang Qian nudged his lips towards the lady. Also in a soft voice, he replied, “She’s a customer who just came in. I asked her what pet she wanted and she said anything.”
Zhang Zian said, “…Then what did you tell her?”
Wang Qian straightforwardly replied, “I said that we didn’t have ‘anything’ on sale here in our shop.”
Zhang Zian was speechless.
Anyone who was serious about doing business was actually afraid of customers who would say “anything.”
“Anything” sounded like there was no request and anything would work, but with no request, it was actually the highest request. It was like an essay for the college entrance examination––everyone prefered to have the scope of the subject to be as clear as possible. If a day came when the subject of the essay for the college entrance examination was “just write anything,” many of the candidates would probably vomit blood on the spot…
Or on a blind date, if the girl were to say “anything,” the man was sure to lose countless brain cells. He’d be wondering if the other party was really casual or if she was just saying it without meaning it. It was okay if she was the former, but if she was the latter, leading her to a roadside stall for cheap beef noodles or stew, it would most probably be the last time they met…
If it was at a restaurant and the customer said “anything,” the restaurant could still serve up one of their specialties, but there at a pet shop to buy pets, could he just sell her a random one?
Wang Qian was very straightforward and he didn’t like to beat around the bush. When he met such customers, even if the customer was a lady, he would not be lenient on her. So of course, the atmosphere immediately became awkward, and Richard flew upstairs to call Zhang Zian down for help.
Actually, Wang Qian couldn’t be blamed for that. When a customer came to a pet shop and said the word “anything,” everyone would feel that the customer had no intention to buy a pet, so they would be too lazy to entertain the customer.
Zhang Zian turned and looked outside the shop. The sky was getting brighter, and there were more pedestrians outside. They were either going to work, to school, doing business, while others were just walking around. Few customers would come to a pet shop so early in the morning.
Zian looked at the girl’s back view. Her clothes were loose on her, and they didn’t look very fitting. Her long hair covered her shoulders, but her hair didn’t seem to be in a good condition; her hair was thin, and she looked like an ordinary person from the way she was dressed.
It was a weekday… Did the young lady not have work or school?
Or was she a fan of Famous and was there for Famous, but was too embarrassed to admit it? I didn’t look like it.
She moved around slowly, watching the pets in the store. She was moving at a very uniform speed, and she showed no particular preference for any kind of cat or dog, nor did she show any special interest in Famous. It didn’t look like she was visiting a pet shop, but instead, it looked like she was admiring cultural relics.
To let her be mentally prepared, Zhang Zian deliberately put more force on his footsteps and walked over to her slowly.
Hearing the footsteps, she turned around, swaying her long hair.
“Hello, my surname’s Zhang. I’m the shop manager. Is there anything that I can help you with?” Zhang Zian asked. “Or would you like to take a look first?”
As he spoke to her, he observed her facial features.
She looked very ordinary—whether others believed him or not, after getting used to Sihwa’s beauty that was out of that world, when Zian now saw an ordinary face of an ordinary person, he felt an inexplicable closeness.
Aside from her ordinary looks, her skin color was relatively darker. Although she had put on some light makeup, it still couldn’t hide the hint of sadness between her brows.
In addition, Zhang Zian had also noticed that the skin around her neck was loose, and such loose skin should not appear on a person at such a young age like her.
She smiled. “Boss, I want to buy a pet.”
Her voice was weak and slightly hoarse, and it seemed to be lacking strength.
“Okay, what do you like? Cats or dogs? Or are you interested in the likes of saltwater fish and corals?” Zhang Zian asked.
“Um… forget about the fish––just cats, and dogs,” she answered after a moment of hesitation.
“Sure, do you like cats or dogs then?” Zhang Zian continued asking.
“I like them both,” she answered, and it didn’t seem like she was just saying it. “I have always wanted to raise a pet, whether it was a dog or a cat, but due to some personal reasons, I was unable to keep one. But today, I am finally able to put everything aside and satisfy this little wish of mine…”
She was smiling, but her smile didn’t look like a happy smile. Instead, it felt really lonely.
Zhang Zian raised his hand and pointed at the kittens playing around in the shop and the puppies waiting in the display cabinet. “We have many types of cats and dogs in the shop, which one do you prefer?”
As expected, without any hesitation, she said, “Any kind would be fine.”
Zhang Zian was already prepared, so he said, “If you’re not sure about it, do you want to take more time to look at them? Choosing a pet is all about the chemistry. You can just look around and who knows, you might just find the one for you…”
She turned her head around and quickly glanced through the pets in the shop, then said in an embarrassed tone, “I just want to raise a pet––any type would be fine. Can you choose one for me? It just needs to be easy to raise.”
Zhang Zian felt that she was serious, and she really intended to just raise any pet. Each pet in the store was not cheap, and she didn’t look like a G2 rich… yet she was so generous with her money?
“I’m sorry, but if you haven’t made up your mind, you can come back again after you have done so.” Zhang Zian’s tone vaguely expressed his intention of sending her off.
She was stunned, very surprised, and she said in an agitated manner, “Do you think that I’m joking? I really want to keep a pet!”
“I know.” Zhang Zian nodded. “But I would still suggest that you think about it before coming back. If you’re planning to keep a pet on impulse, you would most likely regret your decision in the future, which wouldn’t be a good choice for both you and the pet… You’d be wasting your money and the pet would be forced to change owners. After once or twice, the pet would either suffer from abuse or be left in the streets, and you’d constantly be thinking about it.”
In the past, when Zian’s parents had run the pet shop, he had seen customers who bought a pet home on an impulse and they soon realized that they were not suited for raising pets. Physically or mentally, they were not prepared for raising a pet, so they would return it to the shop and request a refund. If no refund was allowed, then they would give it to their relatives or friends.
So, ever since he had taken over the pet shop, he had been trying his best to avoid such a situation from happening. Even if he were to lose some business that way, he would still persist in his principle of not giving way to such examples.
