Zhang Zian thought it over. Over 90% of his shop’s profit came from selling cats and dogs. If cat and dog sales were forbidden, then he would have to close his business.
Germany and China had completely different dynamics that made the policies and laws of the countries uncomparable. Germany was a country where those that claimed social benefits could still live a good life; however, in China, millions of people could only afford to eat dirt. It would be unwise for such a country to spend their money and energy on pets; that money should have otherwise been used to improve the lives of the people.
Zhang Zian was greatly intrigued. If Reina’s pet shop didn’t sell cats or dogs, then how did it develop into such a size? What was it relying on?
Reina answered, “We rely on pet supplies, accessories, and food, of course. We do attract some customers by the exotic pets that we sell, but most only pay for the pet other supplies I mentioned before.”
“You may not be aware of this,” Zhang Zian began, “But online shopping is highly developed in China and most people buy these things online––that way they can easily find the best deal by comparing prices… To be honest, with the exception of imported cat food, I don’t sell much pet supplies in my shop, and my profit is very low.”
Ever since the event at Love Lovely Pets, cat and dog sales had dropped sharply in Binhai City. Most potential pet buyers were waiting so they could buy the pets that had escaped from Love Lovely Pets at a lower price from other sellers.
Things were not good at Zhang Zian’s shop, either. Only some people were asking about the Abyssinians, Ragdolls, and Siberian forest cats; the other cats and dogs were rarely asked about. Things were better with the cats––since they could at least dance––but he was unwilling to sell them at a reduced price to compete with the free cats that had escaped from Love Lovely Pets.
As it was unknown how long this dilemma would last, he was desperately seeking other ways to do business. He was hoping that he could get some insight from Reina.
“Is that so…” Reina pondered for a while then said, “I suggest that you start with two changes. The first is to sell the bulky items––which are inconvenient to buy online––such as fish bowls and aquarium tanks. The second is to introduce more exotic and expensive pets so you can run your shop as a zoo. Use the exotic pets to attract more customers. As long as there are more people coming in your door, then some of them will buy the other things in your shop.”
She spoke from her own experience, as that was how she ran her shop.
Zhang Zian followed her to the second floor.
He had already seen monkeys on the first floor, but the second floor almost made his jaw drop!
It was much hotter on the second floor. It was almost like a subtropical forest with all sorts of exotic and rare pets… Some of them could barely be considered regular pets at all.
A creepy looking tarantula was alternating its hairy legs while staring at an expensive Imperial Amazon. Its millions of compound eyes watched the bird with ill-intention through its cage.
A Philippine Sailfin lizard––covered with ugly wrinkles––was lying on a dry branch, glancing at the customers that passed by with its emotionless, black eyeballs.
A long and thick Albino Burmese Python was flicking its forked tongue lazily to distinguish different odor molecules in the air. It twisted itself into a pile on a rock.
A pair of massive blue and yellow macaws were standing on a branch and tweeting words of love to each other.
A black-eyed racoon was putting a walnut into its mouth and gnawing on the shell, which made a loud cracking sound.
An odd-looking armadillo––armored in scales––was big in size, but small in guts. It curled up into a ball as if it was frightened, protecting its soft abdomen with the hard, bony scales.
A family of ferrets were huddled together, sleeping in peace and love while they leaned their bodies into each other.
A sloth was holding onto the tree trunk with claws as sharp as steel hooks. Its sleepy eyes were half-open as it peeked through the leaves of the tree.
Reina put a tiny thumb monkey onto her fingers. It held onto her index finger as if it were holding onto an elephant’s leg and glanced around curiously.
******
There was a zoo in Binhai City, but it was small and shabby and had nothing more than a few lethargic tigers and monkeys. It could not be compared to the National Zoo in the capital, or even to this pet shop, where there were more animals––in number and in variety. Reina’s shop eye-opening.
******
There were more customers on the second floor than the first. There was even a café in the corner. A few customers were sitting on chairs with cups of aromatic coffee and some delicate pastries in their hands; some customers even had beer and hot and sour currywurst. They were enjoying their food and their drinks while they watched these rare, exotic animals.
Some customers even brought their entire families. There was a couple with their twin boys and the father was explaining the animals to his children in a high-spirited voice. The pet shop was almost like a scientific outing in nature, except they didn’t have to leave downtown Berlin.
After seeing the second floor, Zhang Zian finally figured out where Reina’s pet shop had been earning its profit.
“Do you see now? I don’t sell cats or dogs in my shop, but the profit from the other pets is not any lower. If you combine these animals with the pet supplies and the accessories, then I have enough to keep the business going,” Reina said proudly.
“Awesome, indeed,” Zhang Zian exclaimed with sincerity. “I had never thought of running a pet shop like this. This is truly new knowledge to me.”
“So, does this help you, my dear Chinese fellow?” Reina was very happy to hear Zhang Zian’s words.
Zhang Zian sighed slightly. “It’s a shame, but I can’t do the same thing as you.”
“Why?” she asked doubtfully. “Is it because of the funding shortage? Don’t worry. I didn’t complete my pet collection within one day. You just need to take it slow.”
“No, not because of that.” Zhang Zian shook his head. “The funding is an important factor, but the biggest problem is that… many of the exotic pets sold in your shop, like these colorful parrots and these monkeys, are not allowed to be sold in China––at least not in public.”
That was the problem. The policies for pet sales were different in China than they were in Germany. If he had the guts to sell the wildlife listed at international conventions in China, then his shop would have been reported the next day and closed for investigation by the commercial department…
He explained his difficulties to Reina.
“Is that so… This is tough indeed…” Reina finally understood the situation.
Zhang Zian agreed with regret. “Nothing we can do about this. Things are just different from one country to another.”
Reina thought about it, then waved her hands. “Jeff, don’t come to a conclusion too soon. I understand your difficulties, but all roads lead to Rome. There are ways to bypass the regulations enforced by your country.”
“Oh? Please, enlighten me.” Zhang Zian felt doubtful, but listened carefully.
Reina lifted her hand and pointed to an aquarium tank that was located in another area on the second floor.
“Jeff, you must know that the animals listed in the international conventions are land animals. Each year, thousands of new lifeforms are discovered in the ocean. These newly discovered ocean creatures are not yet listed in the conventions. Therefore, they cannot be regarded as protected species… Do you understand what I mean?”