Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Someone Rich Will Believe Us! ^^

After getting the money, Qian Qi did the first thing on her list: she bought the secondhand stone crusher and grinder she had been eyeing. After rounds of grinding, mixing, adding reagents, grinding again, and sifting, she finally produced her Hemostasis Potion.

She shook the glass cup filled with white powder and asked the System: “Does this really stop bleeding in one second?”

[Why not slice yourself and find out? ^_^]

She straightened and said solemnly: “I believe you. If I cut myself, that would mean I do not trust you.”

[Heh.]

She took several small zip bags from the table and filled each with 10 grams of Hemostatic Powder. She already knew where to sell it. At Awakener University, students at the Awakening stage often arrange sparring matches, so bleeding accidents are common and the campus clinic is packed every day. She had planned to set up by the clinic entrance, but she might get chased off. After thinking it over, she decided to go sell at the “scene of the crime” instead.

Half an hour later, hugging a cardboard box and carrying a little stool, Qian Qi stood in front of the Skills Department dueling square. If you asked where bleeding happened most, this place would rank first. Students with all kinds of skills fought here often to level up, and because they never knew how to hold back, injuries and bleeding were normal. Of course, the Skills Department also had a lot of rich students, which was the most important part.

She picked a perfect spot and set down her box full of Hemostasis Potion. She had fished the box from the trash can behind the clinic. It was basically new, and it weighed enough to sell for twenty cents. She sat on her little stool, crossed her legs, and shouted her pitch: “Come see, come look, Qian Qi brand Hemostasis Potion: one second to stop bleeding, everyone who buys it says it works!”

She kept it going, waving her arm like a street vendor: “Do not pass by and miss this. Not 99, not 88, only 998, take it home right now!”

She leaned in and raised the stakes like a TV ad: “Crazy blowout price. Classmates, take a look: even if your arm is cut off, this will stop the bleeding at once!”

When a curious student paused nearby, she jumped up and hurried over with a grin: “Classmate, buy it and you will not lose out and you will not get tricked. My Hemostasis Potion stops bleeding in one second. It is a lifesaver you need at home.”

The student shook his head and said bluntly: “One second to stop bleeding? That is too much. I do not believe it.”

She slid back onto her stool, crossed her leg over the other, and said coolly: “Shows how little you know. In our Magiplant Department, my Hemostasis Potion is hard to get. Even big shots outside fight to buy it… heh.” She paused for effect, then added with a sigh: “If not for my deep love for my classmates, I would not sell to you first… hmph.”

The student hesitated, then asked: “So how much is it?”

She slapped her thigh and gave him a killer eyebrow raise: “One price only, just 998. I will pack it up for you to take home now!”

He stumbled back at the price and waved his hands: “That is way too expensive. A thousand for one tiny bag?” He turned to leave, muttering as he went: “With that money I would just go to the clinic. One second to stop bleeding? Sounds like pure hype.”

She pouted at his retreating back and murmured, half to herself and half to the System: “This thing can save your life on the spot. How is a thousand expensive?” Then she added in a comforting tone: “System, do not be sad. Our stuff is fine. He just does not know quality.”

[… Thanks. You should be the sad one, not me.]

She clenched her fists and whispered like a coach before a game: “Someone rich is going to believe us. I refuse to believe I will not sell even one bag today.”

She kept calling out, switching up her slogans. People came to gawk, but when they heard the effect and the price, they started to snicker. A boy scoffed to his friends: “She is crazy for money, using ordinary hemostatic powder and calling it One-Second Stop Bleeding, then charging a fortune.” Another chimed in: “Yeah, even with modern medicine, one second is impossible. This kid brags too much.” A girl giggled and waved a hand: “You all know the Magiplant crowd are broke and wild. They think we are a bunch of rich suckers.”

The Skills Department students burst out laughing, then got distracted as a new match started: “Come on, people are fighting over there.”

By noon, the dueling square was crowded, but Qian Qi had not sold a single bag.

[Qian Qi, do not be sad. Our product is fine. They just do not get it. ^_^]

Qian Qi fell silent: [….]

[Someone rich will believe us! ^_^]

She stared at the sky: [….]

[You will definitely sell one bag! ^_^]

She clenched her teeth: [….]

She was going to chew the System to pieces one day.

Deep down, she knew if she was willing to slice herself once and show the effect in public, plenty of people would pay a high price. But each bag cost 998. It hurt to waste one. She could not bear it. And no one wanted to pay to be her little lab rat. Annoying.

She looked up and prayed without shame: [Could a rich little lab rat please fall from the sky and let me cut him?]

At that same moment, by the east gate of Awakener University, a pure black wheel-less hover car stopped. A young man in black stepped out. He was strikingly handsome, wearing a long black coat. His short, pale silver hair shone in the sun like a silver willow. Under his brows, dark deep eyes held a thin layer of distance. He was young, yet he carried a cold, lethal air that made people cautious.

Spotting the middle-aged man waiting for him, the youth gave a light greeting: “Principal.”

The Principal’s face warmed at once as he asked with relief: “Finally you are here. Is District D cleared? How bad was it?”

The youth answered in a flat tone, as if reporting numbers from a screen: “Yes. All monsters cleared. Two D class Awakeners dead, eight E class Awakeners dead, seventeen civilians dead.”

The Principal went quiet, then led the youth through the gate and said carefully: “The D class monsters swarmed out very suddenly. Good thing you were nearby, or there would have been more casualties. You already did your best.”

The youth gave a small nod and replied without emotion: “You do not need to comfort me, Principal. I am used to it.”

The Principal chuckled softly. He knew the comfort was unnecessary. Su Ang was his student. Since childhood he had followed his father to the front, so death was nothing new to him. He was about to change the topic when a voice stabbed his ears like a blaring horn: “Classmates, One-Second Stop Bleeding, no side effects, guaranteed real!” Another line boomed right after: “Only 998, even King Yama will pretend not to see you!”

The Principal’s face darkened as he turned to find the source. He saw Qian Qi gripping a boy’s sleeve, selling like her life depended on it.

He frowned and muttered to the youth beside him: “Why is she over in the Skills Department?” He recognized Qian Qi. She skipped class a lot, picked fights, and often wrecked classmates’ magiplants. Several teachers had reported her to him, and he had warned her once that if she kept it up, she would be expelled. He sighed and added with a scowl: “Tsk, this kid. Fighting every day was one thing. Now she is swindling people.”

Hearing that, Su Ang glanced toward Qian Qi.