Chapter 566: Life for Life Expectancy
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Zhang Zian understood why Masanori Suzuhara kept saying poor Snoopy over and over again. She was referring to the beagles that died for the sake of medicine in labs all over the world.
In her lab, there was always a dog named Snoopy. After the previous one died, a new beagle would be given the same name and the same fate.
Zhang Zian had heard about the wide use of beagles in labs and medical facilities in various countries. He didn't feel much about it. After hearing Masanori Suzuhara's story though, he felt sympathetic for the beagles. Like he told Qian Bowen, these dogs were too affectionate, and would rather get punished from barking than not get any attention. Because they were overly affectionate, they stayed attached to the owners even after being tortured in experiments.
"Poor Snoopy indeed." Snowy and Vivi felt the same emotions, and were able to understand how Masanori Suzuhara was feeling.
The online followers stopped joking and laughing, and sighed for the beagles stuck in the labs.
Some followers owned beagles, and said that they would give more food to their beagles tonight, as a token of appreciation for the millions of beagles that died from medical research.
Lu Yiyun, who was focusing on painting earlier, raised her head at the losses. She heard Snowy and Vivi snorting their noses, but didn't know who did it.
Masanori Suzuhara took out her phone and showed everybody her old pictures.
She was wearing a completely different outfit in the lab, as opposed to the sporty outfit she was in now.
In the selfie, Masanori Suzuhara was wearing a blue uniform that looked like surgery scrubs, and holding an adorable beagle in her arms. As she had said, the beagle looked much like the one in Zhang Zian's shop.
Snoopy's eyes were big and round, without any sadness or pain in them, only happiness from being with its owner.
Another photo was taken at the mountain behind Masanori Suzuhara's school. In the center of the photo was a monument that her school had built in memory of the animals that died in the labs. The monument was solemn and respectful, with Japanese engravings in the front. Zhang Zian was only able to recognize a few Chinese characters on it. There were flowers and offerings laying on the grass in front of the monument as well. Many students and elders were in formal clothing, praying seriously with their closed eyes and palms together.
A faint smile appeared on Masanori Suzuhara's face. "Statistics from the US Department of Health and Public Services show that animal experiments have increased the average human life expectancy by 23.5 years, and the number is still growing. April 24th of each year is 'National Lab Animal Day'. On this day, all the teachers and students in our labs gather in front of the monument, to thank and remember the animals that sacrificed themselves to increase the life expectancy of humans, including Snoopy."
Her eyes grew distant, as if she was staring at something far away. "Every time I get sick and need to take medicine, I feel grateful. These tiny tablets were developed through the lives of thousands of Snoopys. I'm attending Binhai University next semester. But at the end of April, when it's warm and blooming, I'm heading back to Japan to visit Snoopy."
"I want to go there too," Snowy said enviously.
Masanori Suzuhara bowed down at a 90 degree angle towards Zhang Zian, and asked him sincerely, "Please sell this beagle to me. I will take great care of it. I'll also take it to the monument, and introduce it to Snoopy."
Zhang Zian had never been bowed to by a girl like this before. He didn't know what to do, despite the fact that he was usually an unabashed guy.
This was the only beagle in his shop. Should he sell it to her, or keep it for Small Monkey?
Well, this was a no-brainer.
"All right. It's yours," he replied.
He didn't need to give her any additional advice. She had been taking care of beagles in the lab for a long time, and might be even more experienced than he was.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
She gave so many thanks, that if someone didn't know the story, they'd think that Zhang Zian had given the dog to her for free. Zhang Zian was embarrassed from getting so much public appreciation.
He opened the display cabinet, took out the beagle, and handed it to Masanori Suzuhara. He then asked Lu Yiyun to print out a copy of the pet sales agreement.
Snowy and Vivi went over to pinch its paws and rub its big ears. The beagle was definitely affectionate. It looked at the three girls one by one, wondering which one was its new owner.
Zhang Zian felt dejected. He also wanted to experience the feeling of being surrounded and cuddled by a bunch of girls.
"What'll its name be?" asked Snowy, gently pushing on the beagle's nose.
"I want to call it Snoopy." Masanori Suzuhara smiled.
This response was not a surprise to anyone there.
Vivi figured that this lady didn't care much about cats. But after hearing Masanori Suzuhara's story, and seeing such an adorable beagle, she herself started becoming interested in dogs.
"Mr. Manager, do you have another beagle? I want one too!" She looked at Snoopy in Masanori Suzuhara's arms enviously, and asked Zhang Zian.
Zhang Zian was certain that today was a beagle day. He missed two billion potential earnings since he had only one beagle in his shop!
Trying to be responsible, he asked, "Have you had a dog before?"
"No..." Vivi answered honestly.
"I suggest that you don't buy one then." Zhang Zian tried to persuade her.
He could tell that this girl was quiet and came from a well off family. She seemed to be an indoor person, and not very athletic. A beagle needed a large amount of exercise, otherwise it would become a monster that could tear the house down.
Vivi sighed. She had asked impulsively. After listening to Qian Bowen, she knew that she couldn't handle a beagle. She would prefer a cat if possible.
Snowy read her mind and grabbed her hands. She told her to cheer up, then asked Zhang Zian, "Mr. Manager, you know a lot about pets. Is a cat allergy treatable? Are there any secret treatments?"
Zhang Zian was speechless. "Do you think I'm some sort of Chinese medicine doctor?"
Snowy stuck out her tongue, and told Vivi regrettfully, "Vivi, let's get fuzzy cat toy on our way home, shall we?"
"Oh, I already have a lot of fuzzy cat toys!" Vivi replied back looking disappointed.
Zhang Zian cleared his throat. "Well, a cat allergy doesn't really stop you from owning a cat."
"What? Really?" Snowy and Vivi asked in unison.
Vivi thought Zhang Zian was misunderstanding something, and asked, "Are you talking about owning a cat in a plastic ball? I have a really bad cat allergy and I can't even touch them."
Zhang Zian laughed. "I know you're allergic to cats. But not all cats are allergenic."
"Really? There are non-allergenic cats?" Vivi asked doubtfully. If this was true, she'd suffered too many days as a cat-lover without being able to pet one.
Zhang Zian responded with certainty. "Of course there are. Apart from regular cats, there are hypoallergenic and non-allergenic cats. Do you know what parts of cats cause allergies? You're not allergic to their fur, but to a certain protein in cats' saliva, urine, and dander. Cats like licking their fur. They lick themselves and other cats. While licking, the allergenic protein ends up all over their fur, which is what makes you react when you touch them."
After explaining this, he glanced at Snowy Lionet.
Snowy Lionet had been focused on a raw beef sirloin for some time, and suddenly realized that it hadn't licked Fina in awhile. It meowed towards Fina and stuck out its tiny tongue. Fina felt its warm breath on the tip of its tail and swiftly swung it to the other side. Snowy Lionet's tongue licked nothing but air.
Snowy and Vivi nodded, without actually understanding eveything he said.
"What are hypoallergenic and non-allergenic cats?" Vivi didn't really want to hear his theories. She only cared about what type of cats she could own.
Zhang Zian replied, "Hypoallergenic cats are cats that cause very mild allergic symptoms. Everybody's different, and there isn't a cat that doesn't cause allergies at all, in theory. The so-called non-allergenic cats are the ones that are least likely to cause allergic reactions, so that they appear to be non-allergenic."
"What cats are non-allergenic?" Vivi asked anxiously.
Zhang Zian thought to himself and considered his answer for a while. Then he replied, "As far as I know, there are only three types of non-allergenic cats. The first type is special, which are the Sphynx cats. They're hairless cats with barely any hair on its body. So they can't lick their fur or get the allergenic proteins on themselves. You won't be allergic if you just touch it. But if it licks you, or if you're exposed to its urine, you'll still react."
Neither Vivi nor Snowy had seen a Sphynx cat before. They searched for pictures of it on a cell phone, and immediately frowned. "This cat is so ugly! It looks just like an alien creature. Even if I really wanted a cat, I don't want one that looks like that! It'll scare me in the middle of the night. Mr. Manager, what about the other two types?'
Zhang Zian anticipated this reaction. Most people had a hard time accepting the looks of a Sphynx cat. Not many girls had the same taste as Xu Junyu, the make-up artist from the Dog Warrior production crew.
One of the biggest joys of owning a cat was petting them. If a cat had no fur, how could you pet them?
"Even if you wanted a cat like that, I don't have one in my shop." Zhang Zian shrugged. "One of the other two breeds is the Ashera cat. Snowy, don't you know a guy named Lin Qi? He has an Ashera cat, which is non-allergenic. If you want one, I can get one for you."
"Lin Qi?"
Vivi was a distant relative of Snowy. She knew Lin Qi as well, but didn't know that he had a cat.
Snowy shook her head towards her mysteriously, suggesting for her not to consider having such a cat. As far as Snowy knew, Lin Qi had been suffering from insomnia because of his Ashera cat.
Vivi couldn't figure out her reasoning. She wanted to ask Snowy more about it, after leaving the shop.
"Well, what's the last non-allergenic cat breed?" She asked, hanging onto her last hope.
Zhang Zian pointed to a corner in the shop and said, "It's the Siberian Forest cat."