Persuasion

But after he finished speaking, the customers outside still hesitated to enter. Instead, they crowded closer to the glass wall, craning their necks to peer inside.

"Manager, why don't I see any cats or dogs here?" a girl dressed like a college student asked on everyone's behalf.

"We're temporarily sold out of cats and dogs. Right now, we mainly carry birds, fish, turtles, and small animals such as rabbits and hamsters," Mu You explained.

At that, more than half the people there looked disappointed.

Mu You wasn't surprised. Although more and more people were keeping small household pets, cats and dogs still dominated the pet world, their numbers far exceeding all other kinds of pets combined.

When most people thought about getting a pet, cats and dogs were still the first things that came to mind.

Seeing that some customers were already thinking of leaving, Mu You hurriedly spoke up. "Some of you may never have kept small pets before, but in my opinion, keeping a small household pet can be every bit as rewarding as having a cat or dog."

At his words, several customers who had already turned away stopped, deciding to hear him out first.

"Cats and dogs are certainly the most common pets, but they aren't necessarily right for everyone. Both cats and dogs need their owners to spend plenty of time with them, and they also need enough room to move around. For workers and students living at today's hectic pace, both of those things can actually be hard to provide."

"By comparison, small pets like hamsters don't have that problem. Because they're small, a cage or tank is often all they need. They don't take up much space, and you don't have to deal with headaches like shedding or unpleasant odors. There's also something more important: small pets are far easier to care for than cats and dogs. They don't demand too much of their owners' time or energy. You just need to change their food and water regularly and check their health, making them a great fit for today's fast-paced lifestyle."

"Of course, that doesn't mean keeping cats and dogs is worse than keeping small pets. Cats and dogs are companion animals, and the close interaction they offer is something other small animals can't match. What I mean is that everyone should choose the pet best suited to their circumstances. If you buy a pet on a whim just because you thought it looked cute in a video, the daily routine of cleaning up after it may gradually wear away your affection and patience, until you end up selling it or even abandoning it..."

Mu You smiled at the crowd and spoke with easy confidence, leaving everyone a little dumbfounded.

None of them had imagined there was so much to consider just to keep a pet.

Quite a few people there had indeed started thinking about getting a pet because they found the hamsters in yesterday's video cute. Very few, however, had carefully considered all the trouble they might face afterward.

More importantly, Mu You hadn't simply talked about how wonderful small pets were. He had laid out the advantages and disadvantages of keeping cats and dogs versus other pets, letting them judge for themselves. That approach alone made him seem trustworthy.

Now even those who had been ready to leave were persuaded by Mu You and wanted to take a look inside.

The only thing still making them hesitate was the thought that, after he had said so much, it would be awkward if they went in to browse and ended up buying nothing.

"Manager, is it okay if we just look around without buying anything?" the girl from earlier asked cautiously.

"Of course!"

Mu You nodded with a smile. "Everyone who comes into the shop can choose a free bag of pet food at the front counter to feed whichever pet they like. You can also handle and interact with the animals in the pet display area in the middle of the shop, so you can experience firsthand what it's like to keep them."

Everyone's eyes lit up at Mu You's words.

Their biggest fear was buying a pet on impulse only to regret it after taking it home. Being able to get some hands-on experience first was much better.

Even those who had still harbored a few doubts were now completely reassured, and everyone was eager to head inside.

"Wait!"

Just then, however, a dissenting voice came from the back of the crowd.

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a tall young woman with shoulder-length hair and a white lab coat approaching from the edge of the crowd.

As the woman swept her cool gaze over them, the people around her instinctively stepped aside to make way.

The woman in the white coat walked through the crowd and stopped in front of the shop. She first glanced through the glass at the pets inside, then held out her hand to Mu You. "Hello, my name is Zhao Qian. I'm a veterinarian. I happened to be passing by and heard what you said, so I came over to take a look."

"Hello."

Mu You reached out and shook her hand.

Their hands parted after a brief shake. Having introduced herself, Zhao Qian frowned at Mu You. "Bad-tempered rodents bite, especially when it comes to strangers. Handling and petting them carelessly can easily get someone bitten. You run a pet shop, so surely you know something that basic?"

Zhao Qian had only gone out to buy breakfast. Seeing a crowd gathered here, she had come over to take a look, only to hear the shop owner's remarks as soon as she approached.

Meticulous by nature, she had immediately found it hard to stay silent. At the clinic she used to run, she had treated countless cases of people having their fingers bitten through after carelessly touching hamsters. To prevent such a mishap from happening right before her eyes, she had decided to speak up.

"Of course I know bad-tempered hamsters can bite."

Mu You smiled and explained, "That's why I emphasized that only the pets in the display area can be handled. I personally selected all of them. They're gentle, affectionate, and have been trained by me. I can guarantee that unless someone deliberately hurts or provokes them, they will never bite during normal interaction!"

"And what if one of your pets does bite a customer during normal interaction?" Zhao Qian wasn't convinced so easily and pressed him further.

"If that happens, I'll take full responsibility, cover all medical expenses, and pay the person who was bitten ten thousand yuan in compensation!" Mu You said without hesitation.

Everyone was surprised. His willingness to make such a firm promise in public at least showed that the owner had absolute confidence in his pets!

Zhao Qian nodded as well. Since the owner had gone that far, pressing him any further would amount to questioning his character.

"May I go in and take a look too?" Zhao Qian asked.

"Of course."

Smiling, Mu You stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.

Zhao Qian led the way into the shop.

With someone taking the lead, everyone else finally cast aside their hesitation and surged into the shop.