To be honest, Shen Yibin was very supportive of animal conservation. After all, he understood the principle that protecting animals and the biodiversity of the ecosphere was, in essence, protecting humanity itself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so willingly donated to the Giant Panda Base and the Yunzhong City Zoo. But everything had a limit. Once things became extreme, they were no longer appropriate, and animal conservation was no different. These people’s actions had clearly exceeded the bounds of what he and Director Kong could accept.
"Everyone, you can see for yourselves that Hah’Er isn’t showing any signs of distress," Shen Yibin said, gesturing toward Hah’Er. "I’m his owner. I can assure you I care more about his health than any of you." The little guy was happily munching on an apple, not looking the least bit uncomfortable.
"Appearing normal for a moment doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem," Lunfei’Er said self-righteously. "The current weather in Shanghai has clearly exceeded a Panda’s tolerable range. We will not permit you to continue exploiting this Panda."
Narcissus was even more blunt. "Mr. Shen, according to the information we’ve gathered, Director Kong paid over ten million USD and a large share of the global box office and merchandise revenue to have this Panda participate in the film. Therefore, we must question your motive for insisting the Panda continue filming!"
’So that’s it. They’re flat-out accusing me of ignoring Hah’Er’s health for money.’ Shen Yibin was so angry he was at a loss for words. ’If that were true, I would have been signing endorsement deals left and right with Hah’Er back during the talent competition. Why would I have waited until now? Waited until I was certain Director Kong was a good partner before taking any action?’
’And what about how I made sure Hah’Er’s rights were so carefully protected in the contract? If you’re going to slander someone, at least get your facts straight!’ As soon as he heard this, Director Kong issued a warning. "Ms. Narcissus, please watch your words." There were recording devices and lawyers in the conference room; that statement alone was grounds to sue Narcissus for slander.
Besides his role in the animal protection organization, Famite’s formal profession was also related to law. He, too, recognized the inappropriateness of Narcissus’s words and quickly stood up to apologize. Only then did the activists’ aggressive demeanor deflate somewhat.
"We welcome you to visit the set and supervise our use of animal actors," Director Kong said, choosing not to press the issue. This wasn’t the time to argue about it. The most important thing was to persuade them to let Hah’Er continue filming so they could finish the movie on schedule. So, after accepting the apology from Famite and the others, Director Kong got down to business. "Everyone, I believe professional matters should be judged by professionals."
"That is indeed how it should be," Famite agreed. "So, Director Kong, what is your proposal?"
"As it happens, the Shanghai Zoo also has giant pandas. They have many experienced keepers and veterinarians there. We can take Hah’Er to the Shanghai Zoo and have these professionals examine his health. Let them decide whether Hah’Er is fit to continue filming." Director Kong hadn’t come into this unprepared; he had already been in contact with the Shanghai Zoo.
"That’s acceptable." Famite and the others huddled together, whispering for a moment, before agreeing to Director Kong’s arrangement, albeit with reservations. "We can go to the Shanghai Zoo for the examination together, but we will not allow the Panda to resume filming until we have a clear and credible result."
It seemed their plan was to support the decision if the Shanghai Zoo staff determined Hah’Er was unfit to film. However, if the zoo came to the opposite conclusion, they intended to use other tactics to prevent Hah’Er from filming. They would persist until either the temperature in Shanghai dropped to a level suitable for a Panda, or the production moved to a city with a more appropriate climate.
However, Director Kong was unwilling to accept either condition. First, the movie’s release date was already set for the popular Christmas slot this year. If filming were delayed, they would likely miss their release window. *Panda Hero* still required a massive amount of work on special effects, not to mention post-production tasks like dubbing, scoring, editing, and promotion. All of these were incredibly time-consuming. Director Kong couldn’t afford to waste a single day, let alone suspend filming to wait for two months.
Changing the filming location was also out of the question. He had already signed multiple cooperation agreements with various parties in Shanghai. Changing locations now would mean facing liability for breach of contract. Furthermore, they had already shot a significant number of scenes, and a change of location would mean all that work was for nothing. Besides, who knew if these people would just come up with some other excuse in a different city?
But Director Kong had no better solution; he could only take it one step at a time. "Very well, then. We’ll go to the Shanghai Zoo first thing tomorrow morning for Hah’Er’s checkup. It’s getting late, and you all must be tired after your long flight. Let’s get something to eat and then rest early."
The four nodded in agreement and followed Director Kong to the restaurant downstairs. Shen Yibin was slightly surprised to discover that all four of them ate only vegetarian dishes, without a single trace of meat. ’I wonder what plants ever did to offend them.’
"Wait, Mr. Shen! Are you certain these ingredients are safe?" Just as Hah’Er hugged his food bowl and prepared to eat, Charlotte rushed over to stop him, her face full of suspicion. "Is this genetically modified food? Were any chemical pesticides or additives used during its cultivation? And are you sure this food is suitable for a Panda?"
"Ma’am, are you questioning our hotel’s professional standards?" Forget Shen Yibin and Director Kong; even the hotel staff couldn’t stand it anymore. The hotel’s lawyer was promptly summoned, bringing a stack of certificates of origin. Only after that was Hah’Er allowed to eat. Shen Yibin and Director Kong could only look at each other and share a bitter smile.
Previously, everyone would gather after dinner for tea to discuss the day’s filming, going over what went well and what didn’t. Today, however, no one was in the mood. After the meal, they all planned to just return to their rooms to rest. As for filming tomorrow, it was completely up in the air. Judging by the attitude of these esteemed guests, filming tomorrow seemed highly unlikely.
"You take Hah’Er back to rest. I’ll figure out a way to handle them," Director Kong said, patting Shen Yibin’s shoulder. He planned to go make some calls and see who might be able to help.
"Okay. I’m sure everything will be fine after the checkup at the zoo tomorrow," Shen Yibin replied, trying to be optimistic. He then stepped into the elevator to head back to his room.
However, before the elevator doors could close, Charlotte slipped inside. She looked at Shen Yibin and said, "Mr. Bin, tonight I’m sleeping with you..."