Chapter 62

Chapter 63: A Petty Thief

After the shearing incident, Qian Qi turned down all outside drama and forced her life back to normal.

Every day she fed animals, scooped poop, then went up the mountain to analyze Magiplants and answered classmates’ questions.

During this time, she went to the classmates whose Magiplant homework the original body had ruined and who had even been hit by the original body. She apologized sincerely.

Some hated Qian Qi because of that and swore they would never forgive her. In the end, under her friendly arm-over-shoulders kind of threat, they accepted her gifts and apology with mixed feelings.

It was not that their will was weak. It was because she said she would teach them until they fully got it.

Artificially cultivated Magiplants have many ways to die. Even textbook methods do not always cure them, and new cases might pop up. But Qian Qi said she could explain the planting method and all the case types for that Magiplant. How could they not be tempted?

The System looked at her panel and said: “I thought you were the type who never apologizes.”

In its view, Qian Qi was not a sentimental person and would not take the blame for others’ mistakes. Seeing her carry the original body’s fault and go apologize was surprising.

Squatting by her experimental field, Qian Qi glanced at the System and said: “You’ve got the wrong idea about me.” She pointed at her face and added: “Did you forget? I am thick faced and shameless at the same time.”

If the original body’s past hurt her reputation and blocked her chances to make money, she would never allow it.

So she had to fix her name, make it even with her classmates, and win the Magiplant students’ trust, so that they could…

Work hard for her sweet honey jar of a retirement life.

Thinking of this, Qian Qi could not help laughing: “Gaga gaga jiejie gaga gaga.”

The System thought: [I heard that villain laugh in the middle there!]

After making a second batch of Hemostasis Potion, Qian Qi sold them to the people who had paid deposits.

In those days, she finished analyzing every Magiplant on the Back Mountain.

She was no longer satisfied with E rank Magiplants.

Sitting at her desk, tapping on the Light-Brain while sorting reports that were all about Magiplant cultivation, she said: “Humans really are greedy.”

She asked: “System, what other potions do you have? I want to see what to make next.”

The profit from Hemostasis Potion no longer met her growing ambition. She wanted big money, huge money.

For a sweet and beautiful retirement, her first wish was a wheel-less luxury hovercar.

She raised her arms and called: “Come on! Empty my wallet, Lord System!”

The System said: “[Shouldn’t we pay off the installment we still owe from the Hemostasis Potion materials first?]”

Qian Qi paused, then said: “What a nice day. Perfect for a visit to the Magiplant Research Institute.”

The System thought: […You are changing the subject so obviously. Would it kill you to pay in advance, you cheapskate.]

Humming, Qian Qi went to her wardrobe to look for her pass. After searching three times and not finding it, she leaned on the door, rubbed her messy hair, and laughed up at the ceiling.

She said: “Hahaha, interesting, very interesting.”

The System asked: “[Have you finally gone crazy?]”

She closed the wardrobe and smiled with a curve that looked extra creepy on her face shape, then said: “Don’t you think this is interesting?”

The System said: “[If you want to know who stole the pass, you can pay 200 yuan and I’ll tell you.]”

Qian Qi snorted, pulled on her brown leather jacket, and said with regret: “I just gave you a chance to ask for money and you flubbed it. Now you want to fish in my pocket? Dream on.”

With 200 yuan, she could bargain at a street stall and buy ten leather jackets like this.

A petty thief did not deserve her 200 yuan.

She spat and went downstairs in flip flops, ready to open a new map.

When the Magiplant Research Institute was first built, people placed huge hopes on it. They wanted it to discover new medicines that help humans, maybe even gene medicines that boost human evolution. Anything that could push medical progress forward would do.

But the bigger the hope, the bigger the disappointment.

Year after year, the institute posted apology notices. People grew disappointed. More and more believed Magiplants were useless to humans and studying them was a waste of money and time.

Bit by bit, the institute moved from a prime spot downtown to the edge of the city, and finally to the border area of Jiang City next to Yan City.

Even so, it was a public institute with a large campus. Several tall buildings stood inside the compound. Some walls looked old, but the security was complete.

Right then, Qian Qi stood at the gate, staring at the Security Guard, who stared back.

She said: “Security Guard, I was really invited here. If you don’t believe me, call the Dean and ask.”

The guard waved his hand and said, serious and dutiful: “What are you thinking? How could I have the Dean’s number? Please leave. Outsiders are not allowed in.”

Qian Qi said in surprise: “You don’t have the Dean’s number?” She slapped the desk at the guard room door and said with delight: “What a coincidence. I do!”

The guard blinked.

Then he watched Qian Qi open her Light-Brain and call the Dean of the institute, Li Hong Sheng.

Leaning on the desk, Qian Qi patted her Light-Brain so the guard could see and said with a smug little grin: “Dean, it’s me, Qian Qi. I came to visit the Magiplant Research Institute today. I happened to be nearby, so I stopped by. I didn’t bring my pass, and the Security Guard won’t let me in.”

From the Light-Brain came Li Hong Sheng’s voice: “I see. I’ll tell Security to let you in.”

Qian Qi cried out: “That won’t do!”

Li Hong Sheng was puzzled, then heard her say: “How about you come out and pick me up? Even if I go in, I’ll get lost.”

Li Hong Sheng fell silent.

The guard also fell silent. He thought: [You’re not shy at all, huh.]

Li Hong Sheng said: “Wait there. I’ll be right there,” and hung up, leaving his meeting in a hurry.

The Magiplant researchers in the meeting room looked at each other. They wondered who this person was, to make the Dean walk out of such an important meeting.

At the gate, the Security Guard watched Qian Qi bend over the desk to fill out the sign in sheet and asked: “Kid, if you had the Dean’s number, why did you ask me to call him?”

Was it just to show off?

He looked at Qian Qi’s plain clothes and cocky vibe. He read a lot of rags to riches web novels and knew all about that show off then face slap pattern. He could not believe he was living it now.

He got excited. If the Dean came out and scolded him for not recognizing a big shot, he would say he followed the rules and could not let anyone in without a pass. If the Dean got mad and wanted to fire him, he would demand a 2N+1 severance.

While the guard was busy dreaming, Qian Qi picked up the sign in book, pointed at the name she had just written, then pointed at her own face.

She said: “Why else? So you’ll remember this face, and next time you’ll let me in without a pass.”

The Security Guard’s dream of a reverse face slap crumbled to pieces.