Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Qian Qi: Asking Too Much Isn’t Good for You
“You look disappointed,” Qian Qi said, arms crossed, watching Li Hong Sheng like he was a particularly entertaining insect.
“I’m not. I didn’t. Don’t talk nonsense,” Li Hong Sheng snapped, hurriedly fixing his expression. He cleared his throat and eyed her. “So… what did you come to the Institute for today?”
“For the shared progress of humanity, of course!!!”
Qian Qi strode up and seized his wrist with both hands, gripping tight like she was clinging to life itself. Her rough little face wore pure, dramatic misery.
“Director, you have no idea what happened the day before yesterday,” she said, voice trembling with performance, “or how terrified I was. I almost died!”
Li Hong Sheng’s mind flicked to what the principal had told him: Su Ang had taken her to the Song City battle zone. A B-rank magic beast had appeared, and Su Ang had held it off before it could spread into civilian areas.
So Qian Qi had probably witnessed the battlefield.
Was she finally about to share her potions for the good of mankind?
He was just reaching the hopeful part of that thought when Qian Qi continued, “Anyway, yesterday the potion seller contacted me! I was so excited. I remembered what you told me, so I asked if she’d sell me the recipe. And guess what!”
She leaned in, eyes wide. “She said she’d have someone kill me. And then she blocked me!”
Qian Qi’s face twisted in outrage. “Kill me, fine, whatever. But block me? That’s just disrespectful!”
Li Hong Sheng stared.
“I just wanted to mooch a potion recipe,” Qian Qi went on, righteously offended. “Does she have no sense of the big picture? This is about benefiting humanity and saving the world! Can’t she just give it to me for free? Cold-hearted monster!”
Li Hong Sheng: …
Was she… mocking someone?
“And who says you can threaten me?” Qian Qi puffed up. “I hacked her light brain, cracked her highest-level password, deleted all her contacts and memos, and found the potion recipe she hid!”
She patted her chest. “Pretty amazing, right?”
Li Hong Sheng’s eyes went dead. “Incredible.”
It took effort to say it with a straight face.
“But about the recipe…” Qian Qi’s gaze slid toward Wei Zhen, who was still nearby.
Wei Zhen got the hint instantly. “Director, you two talk. I’ll go deal with the Chai Yin fruit situation.”
He fled.
The second he was gone, Qian Qi leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I can hand you the potion recipe, but this stays between us. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know.”
Then she added, pointedly, “The principal and Su Ang can’t know.”
Li Hong Sheng frowned. “Why can’t they know?”
“Don’t ask so much.” Qian Qi’s smile sharpened. “It’s not good for you.”
Then she dangled the bait. “If you keep it from those two, you get the recipe without paying a cent.”
“Fine!” Li Hong Sheng said instantly.
Free was a beautiful word.
Besides, once the Magic Plant Research Institute started selling hemostatic potion, the principal and Su Ang would find out sooner or later. Delaying the news wasn’t the same as hiding it forever.
Qian Qi nodded, satisfied. “Great. Now we can talk about the other ‘non-money’ price.”
Li Hong Sheng’s eyebrow twitched. “The what?”
“The recipe can be free,” Qian Qi said, cheerful as sunshine, “but you still have to trade something for it.”
She patted his shoulder like she was educating a child. “I heard you have a friend who specializes in defensive armor.”
Li Hong Sheng’s eyes widened. “How do you even—”
“I want three D-rank sets and one C-rank,” Qian Qi said, steamrolling right over his question. “Also, from now on, you provide me B-rank and below magic plant seeds for free.”
Li Hong Sheng opened his mouth.
Qian Qi raised a finger. “In return, I’ll give you priceless information.”
He hesitated, trying to steady himself. “And how do you guarantee you’ll actually give us useful information? I need to know you’re worth this.”
Qian Qi smiled—small, confident, infuriating—and held up three fingers.
“Three magic plants,” she said. “I’ll answer your hardest questions on three of the Institute’s existing magic plants.”
Li Hong Sheng’s heart slammed.
“…Even S-rank?” he asked, voice unsteady.
“Sure.” Qian Qi sounded bored. “If you think it’s worth it.”
Li Hong Sheng spun on his heel and bolted.
“You stay right there!” he barked over his shoulder. “Don’t move!”
Only Li Hong Sheng had clearance to pull S-rank files. He practically sprinted to the basement and back, moving with an energy that had no business living in a man his age.
He slapped a thick stack of files onto the meeting table with a thud, then summoned the Institute’s best.
“All A-rank and above researchers to the meeting room!” Li Hong Sheng roared. “Class starts today. Every one of you—focus!”
An A-rank researcher wasn’t just someone with a fancy label. They’d passed the A-rank magic plant exam, could fully master D-rank cultivation, handle C-rank plants with skill, and were qualified to enter instances to study B-rank magic plants. In the Institute, they were second only to Li Hong Sheng himself.
Wei Zhen arrived. Mo Yin Qiu arrived. So did the teachers from Qian Qi’s magic plant class.
Qian Qi noticed most of the faces from last meeting were here too.
No wonder they held the Institute’s future in their hands.
Her gaze landed on Mo Yin Qiu. Qian Qi immediately scooted closer, shameless enthusiasm on full blast, voice turning syrupy. “Mentor Mo~~~”
Mo Yin Qiu’s expression went flat. “Get lost.”
Wei Zhen watched from the side with a sour face. Now he finally understood why Researcher Mo had taken a liking to Qian Qi. This Little Brother was talented, bold, and somehow bigger-hearted than him.
Still, Wei Zhen clenched his fists and declared, “Classmate Qian Qi—academically, I can admit defeat. But in love, I will never admit defeat! I’ll surpass you and stand proudly beside Researcher Mo!”
Qian Qi froze.
Mo Yin Qiu went rigid.
A few of the magic plant teachers choked so hard they nearly inhaled air wrong.
Wei Zhen barreled forward anyway, fueled by sheer determination. “Researcher Mo said she doesn’t have a boyfriend. So I’m going to defeat you and become her official boyfriend!”
Li Hong Sheng didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed the stack of files and smacked Wei Zhen on the head so hard it sounded like a gong.
“You idiot!” Li Hong Sheng roared. “Have you studied yourself stupid? Qian Qi is a girl—same as Researcher Mo!”
Wei Zhen’s jaw dropped.
He stared at Qian Qi.
Then at Mo Yin Qiu.
Mo Yin Qiu had one hand over her face like she was trying to escape her own life.
A wave of embarrassment detonated through Wei Zhen so violently it felt like someone had poured ice water down his spine.
Qian Qi was… a girl?
So all those days of jealousy…
He’d been jealous of a girl?
Humiliating.
Absolutely humiliating.
He wanted to die on the spot.
And somewhere in the chaos, the narrator’s voice seemed to hum with shameless amusement:
Our Qi Qi… heh, heh, heh… her tastes really were something.