"Du Zhou, did you hear? The Association held a Pet Beast Cleaning and Caring Exhibition the other day."
On Bright Avenue, one of two people walking side by side nudged the other with his shoulder and asked with a chuckle.
"What? There was such a great event and you didnât tell me?" Du Zhou took a deep breath, his expression suddenly filled with heartache, "The Pet Beast Cleaning and Caring Exhibition was only for two days, itâs already over, isnât it?"
"Iâm telling you now, arenât I?" The one who had asked earlier laughed âheh hehâ and patted Du Zhou on the shoulder.
"Youâre very timely with your news." Du Zhou snorted and shook off his hand, "Enough said, Zhang Peng, Iâm going to disown you as a friend for a day!"
"Alright then, since thatâs the case, I wonât tell you the big news from last nightâs Pet Beast Cleaning and Caring Exhibition," Zhang Peng shrugged, feigning indifference.
Du Zhou predictably took the bait, his ears perking up as he grabbed hold of him, "Spill it, whatâs the big news?"
"Heh heh." Zhang Peng chuckled, "Youâd never guess who won the title of âCleaning Saintâ for this edition of the Pet Beast Cleaning and Caring Exhibition?"
"Was it Du Qian from Hundred Flowers Foster Store? Or Chu Ranran from Red Snow Foster Home? Or maybe Duan Yunchu from the Sails Foster Home?"
Listing several renowned caretakers in Bright Radiance City in one breath, Du Zhou paused for a moment, "I think Du Qian is the most likely, supporting our own kin."
After speaking, he glanced at Zhang Pengâs expression and couldnât help but frown, "Donât tell me none of them won?"
"Correct, the one who won the title of âCleaning Saintâ is a caretaker named Xu Ran!" Zhang Peng nodded his head, his eyes gleaming with pride as if he had been present at the event.
"Xu Ran? Never heard of him," upon hearing Zhang Pengâs answer, the confusion in Du Zhouâs heart not only remained unresolved, it deepened even further, "Which Foster Shop does he work for?"
"This is where it gets interesting," Zhang Peng smiled, "Xu Ran is not associated with any Foster Shop in Bright Radiance City right now. Heâs from out of town, and soon, heâll be opening his own shop here."
"The name of the shop is already decided; itâs going to be Starfire Foster Care Shop." Zhang Peng with the air of one who knew Xu Ran well continued, "If Iâm not mistaken, itâll open within at most half a month."
"From out of town... no shop..." Du Zhou pondered the interesting news Zhang Peng had shared and couldnât help but press for more, "Anything else interesting?"
"Of course," Zhang Peng gave a look that said âyouâve come to the right person,â "You should know that after the Pet Beast Cleaning and Caring Exhibition ends, there is an award ceremony where they honor outstanding caretakers and announce who has won the title of âCleaning Saintâ."
"Seems thereâs something like that," Du Zhou nodded, "What about it?"
"Xu Ran won the title of âCleaning Saint,â but last night he didnât show up at the award ceremony," Zhang Peng patted Du Zhouâs shoulder, "Guess why?"
"Iâm not guessing, quit beating around the bush," Du Zhouâs eyebrows lifted, a hint of menace in his eyes, "Spit it out!"
"Alright, alright, Iâll tell you," Zhang Peng raised his hands in surrender, "The reason is, Xu Ran had unfinished guest pets to clean and care for, so he missed the award ceremony still caring for his patrons."
"By that time the Cleaning and Caring Exhibition had already been over for more than an hour; logically, customers who hadnât queued up in time wouldnât be able to enjoy free cleaning services."
"But Xu Ran still cleaned all the queued guests for free before leaving."
"That..." Du Zhouâs face showed a trace of surprise, "Hearing you say that, this caretaker named Xu Ran really seems dedicated. Iâm tempted to take my Pet Beast to him for cleaning."
"Heh heh," Zhang Peng smirked mischievously, "Guess why I know all of this so clearly?"
"Because among the guests who didnât queue up but were lucky enough to receive Xu Ranâs services yesterday, I was among them."
Du Zhou: "..."
If looks could kill, he would have murdered this annoying friend!
"Take it easy, take it easy," sensing Du Zhouâs glare, Zhang Peng quickly spoke up to assuage him, "Just wait ten days or half a month, maybe Xu Ranâs Foster Care Shop will open."
"Hold on a second," Du Zhou stood still, grabbing Zhang Peng, "You said earlier that Xu Ranâs Foster Shop hasnât opened yet but its name has been decided."
"What was the name again?"
"Starfire Foster Care Shop, âStarâ as in star, âFireâ as in flame."
"Then look over there." Du Zhou raised a hand, pointing in the distance.
There stood a grand and majestic building at the most conspicuous spot at the center of Bright Avenue, one of the landmarks on Bright Avenue.
It was Dawn Building No.1.
Both were familiar with Dawn Building No.1.
After all, they could see it every time they went shopping; they were accustomed to it.
In their memory, Dawn Building No.1 always had a âfor saleâ sign, but for some reason, no one seemed to take over this excellently located building.
But now, as their gaze shifted simultaneously towards the building, they quickly noticed something different about Dawn Building No.1.
The âfor saleâ sign was gone, and in its place was a striking plaque. The five characters on the sign were written with powerful, dynamic strokes.
Starfire Foster Care Shop.
"Iâll be..." Zhang Peng couldnât help but gape, his face reflecting his shock.
Just yesterday, Xu Ran had been welcoming every cleaning guest to visit his Starfire Foster Care Shop in the future, and today the shop was already up and running?