Chapter 66

Chapter 67: Men only slow down my money making

After lunch, Qian Qi headed back to the dorm. Before leaving the institute, she asked Li Hong Sheng for another pass.

This pass was different from the last Special Guest Pass. No name was written on it. That meant anyone carrying it could enter the Magiplant Institute. However, the places it allowed were limited. Important areas were off limits with such a basic pass. That was enough.

When he saw her off, Li Hong Sheng took a brand new white lab coat from the storeroom, handed it to her, and added a snarky line, saying: “Take it as a souvenir. Though I think your vibe doesn’t match a researcher.”

Qian Qi accepted it with a squinting smile, saying: “Thank you, Dean.”

After she left, Li Hong Sheng called the Principal. He said, thinking hard: “I think Qian Qi might really not know the potion method or the Defense Fruit method. To be honest, even I get a headache facing Magiplant research. How could a kid have that kind of skill?”

“…” The Principal’s mouth twitched. He said: “Did she fool you again? Did you forget? Her classmates’ Magiplant homework was all done with her help. Why wouldn’t she have the skill?”

“Even if she doesn’t, she must know something. Or she has some secret,” the Principal said with certainty. “Don’t forget, that group that broke the law with human experiments once said psychic type Awakeners who had their brain regions developed receive knowledge much faster than normal. What if Qian Qi is one of them?”

“You mean she could be an S level psychic power Awakener?” said Li Hong Sheng, shocked.

“I’m not sure. I’ll find a chance to test it,” the Principal said after a moment. “Leave this to me. I’ll probe again.”

“You have a way?” asked Li Hong Sheng, curious.

“Hmm…” The Principal rubbed his chin and said: “Among The Thirty-Six Stratagems, there is always one that works. I plan to try the honey trap first.”

Li Hong Sheng stared: [??? Who? You? Are you a beauty?]

–

When Qian Qi returned to the dorm, all her roommates were in. She tossed the pass into the wardrobe and complained, saying: “Which idiot stole my Special Guest Pass? My name is on it. You can’t even use it to enter the institute. Are they that bored?”

Liang Yu Ting poked her head out, curious, and asked: “Something of yours got stolen?”

That was rare. In the past, if anything in the dorm got stolen, people would suspect Qian Qi. Now there was a theft, and the victim was Qian Qi.

“Yeah. Good thing I asked the Dean for another,” said Qian Qi. She was about to flop on the bed for a nap when the Principal messaged her to come to his office.

“Tsk, the old guy never calls me for anything good,” she muttered. She scratched her messy nest of hair and left the dorm.

Just outside the door, a classmate ran up to her, saying: “Qian Qi, my Seven-Ridge Ghost Flower has another problem. There’s a red blister on its head…”

“It’s not a big deal,” said Qian Qi. “I have to go to the office to handle something. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Then she hurried downstairs in her flip flops.

The classmate stood there, scratching their head in doubt. [She’s going to the city again? Did that big deal she went to the city for last time run into trouble?]

In the Principal’s office, the coffee table was set with snacks and tea. Wearing his black suit, the Principal straightened himself, ready for battle. He planned his words. Today, he would pry the potion recipe from Qian Qi’s lips.

Then five o’clock passed, six passed, seven passed…

Seeing the sky outside turn dark, the Principal finally realized: [I got stood up?]

At seven thirty, someone knocked at the door. The Principal jumped up and said: “Please come in!”

Qian Qi poked her head around the door. Her eyes curved like crescent moons at the sight of the rich spread on the table, and she said: “Wow, Principal, you’re so polite. You even prepared snacks.”

The corner of the Principal’s eye twitched. He pointed at the coffee table and said: “Sit. I have something to ask you.”

Qian Qi sat on the sofa and tasted the snacks without fuss. Seeing the Principal sit as well, she grinned and said: “Just say it straight. I don’t like beating around the bush.”

“Good. Since you said that, let’s be direct,” the Principal said, fingers interlaced. He asked in a low voice: “How much for you to sell us the recipe for Hemostasis Potion and the growing method for Defense Fruit?”

“These two things are too important to us. If you don’t want to sell, we can produce them under our name, and you can take a cut,” he said, laying out his goal. “You can have the money, but the products must be sold to the public. That’s the result we want.”

Qian Qi smiled and said: “Principal, I already said…”

He lifted a hand to cut her off, saying: “If you agree, I can have Su Ang go on a date with you for one day.”

That was his big move. Su Ang was the most handsome and outstanding guy at the Awakener University. From what he had seen, Qian Qi seemed very interested in him.

No, to be exact, it would be strange if Qian Qi wasn’t interested. Su Ang looked like a fairy from the sky, and he was an S level psychic Awakener. His father was the Supreme Commander. The Su clan was one of the Seven Ruling Clans.

He also traveled the Combat Zones all year and often appeared in the news. He had become a symbol of hope. Men admired his fighting spirit and strength. Women were crazy for his looks, power, and background. Older folks wished he were their grandson. Kids took him as a hero.

To go on a one day date with such a “legendary figure” was something many people dreamed of.

The Principal raised the stakes, saying: “As long as there’s no physical contact, you can take him to do anything.”

Hearing that, Qian Qi folded her hands to cover her mouth. She crossed her legs and said, firm and clear: “Principal, do you misunderstand me? I’m not someone who chases good looks. How are men more important than money? They only slow down how fast I make money.”

With a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she added: “And even if I like pretty faces, between eight handsome male models and one handsome senior, I know which one I’d pick.”

[So, did you get it? If you give me eight male models for free, maybe I’ll think about it.]

Outside the office door, Su Ang’s hand paused on the knob. His brow lifted just a little. Then he opened the door, met Qian Qi’s eyes, and nodded as a greeting. He sat on the other end of the sofa and asked the Principal: “You needed me?”

“Ahem…” The Principal cleared his throat and said: “Here’s the situation…” He explained everything about the Hemostasis Potion and the Defense Fruit.

After hearing it all, Su Ang looked at Qian Qi and asked: “You like male models?”

Qian Qi went still: [Help. He heard that.]

“There’s an entertainment place in Song City with the kind of male models you like,” said Su Ang in his cool, calm voice. “If you’re interested, I can take you. I’ll cover all the costs, as long as you’re willing to sell the recipe and the growing method.”

Su Ang had a clean, untouchable beauty. Just standing there, he felt like someone you could only look at from far away. Yet when he spoke about male models, there was no awkwardness at all. It felt like he was serious and proper, not joking.

The Principal had just opened his mouth to say something when Qian Qi said: “Deal!”