Chapter 94

Chapter 95: The markup you’re taking as a middleman is way too shady

Si Kong Wang rushed to explain: “No, Father. She’s a university classmate. I asked her to help. Bai Yin…”

Si Kong Lin raised a gloved hand to stop him and said with little interest: “I know. You two keep eating.”

He sat in an empty chair and signaled the chef to bring his usual meal. With nothing else to do, Si Kong Wang sat back down. After a quiet moment, he looked up and said to Qian Qi: “Classmate Qian, let’s keep talking.”

Qian Qi answered with a simple “Oh,” not paying much attention to Si Kong Lin’s chilly presence. She enjoyed the food and kept chatting with Si Kong Wang about Magibeasts.

Si Kong Lin listened from the side. One black leather glove held utensils. The other hand rested on his thigh, his index finger tapping now and then. His gaze measured Qian Qi without seeming to.

He had just returned from an A-class battlefield. The blood smell and killing edge still hung on him. Most people would back away. Even the house staff grew tense and avoided speaking when he was home. But the girl across from him seemed totally unaffected, focused on her conversation as if he were invisible. That level of calm and focus did not look like something an ordinary student would have.

And also… did she not know where she was?

Of course Qian Qi knew where she was. This was the Si Kong Family, one of the Seven Great Families. Like the Su Clan, their early Awakeners had given much since the Dungeons appeared. After generations of effort and sacrifice, they became one of the families that controlled the world’s resources and fate.

Which meant the man across from her could, with a few words, change most people’s lives.

[So what does that have to do with me?]

His son’s Contract Beast was sick. He still had to come to her for help, right?

In front of a doctor, even the highest big shot with hemorrhoids can only lie on the bed, pull down his pants, and pick his pride back up piece by piece.

So to Qian Qi, the Si Kongs were just regular people with the halo switched off.

Of course, if this big shot wanted to kill the doctor to silence her, she would swing the System Panel and give him a solid whack. She did not believe anyone could kill her with Lord System around.

She asked in a low voice: “Lord System, you’ll protect me, right?”

[System: Of course. I’ll show you there’s nothing money can’t do. If there is, it’s only because there isn’t enough money.]

Qian Qi brightened: “Great. If danger comes, can I pay later?”

[System: No. This System supports installments only.]

Qian Qi let out two pitiful whines, then spooned up some seafood soup. After it warmed her belly, she gave a thumbs up and said to Si Kong Wang: “Classmate Si Kong, your chef is amazing.”

In front of his father, Si Kong Wang was extra reserved: “Thank you. If you like it, Classmate Qian, you can come often.”

Si Kong Lin cleared his throat, and a stern glance cut across the table. He clearly did not approve of that invitation. His pressing gaze settled on Qian Qi as he asked: “Classmate Qian, you study at the Awakener University? Beast Taming major?”

Qian Qi met his eyes and shook her head: “No. Magiplant.”

Si Kong Lin froze for a second, surprised even as an A-rank Commander: “Magiplant… what?” He had not expected his son’s first non-Su Ang friend to be a Magiplant student. That “useless” major, rumored to be chosen only by kids from poor, harsh places. How could someone this calm come from that?

His brow creased. Tension among the great families had been high lately. His son suddenly befriending someone who did not seem ordinary made him question whether Qian Qi was a spy planted by another house.

He put down his cup and spoke with cool authority: “You two should keep your distance from now on.” He added as he stood, tone that allowed no refusal: “When you finish, take your classmate home. Then go back to your room and study.”

Si Kong Wang bowed his head and agreed. After his father left, he glanced at Qian Qi with an apologetic look: “My father has a bad temper. Please don’t mind him.”

Qian Qi smiled, completely unbothered: “The only thing that can hurt my feelings is payment that does not arrive.”

Si Kong Wang exhaled in relief. His friendly, goofy side returned: “My dad is almost never home. If you want to come, just come. Ignore him. He won’t hurt you.”

“Oh, Commanders are busy. I get it,” Qian Qi said casually, then asked: “What about your mom? Is she also away?”

Si Kong Wang paused and scratched his cheek: “Ah… my mom is ill. She has been in the hospital.”

Qian Qi nodded and was about to say sorry when the System slid up “face to face.”

[System: Oh, my dear Qian Qi, would you like to save the young classmate’s mother from the brink of death?]

[System: For just two million, you can become the first doctor in the world to treat Psychic Power disorder. Glory will pour onto you. Every S Commander will bow before your, ahem, boxer shorts.]

Qian Qi: [???] [We still aren’t done with the boxer shorts joke?]

Even so, she picked out the key points.

She muttered as she pieced it together: “When I looked things up before, I wondered why the Si Kong family’s S Commander wife had no news for over ten years, and the Su Clan’s S-ranked wife was also missing. I thought maybe this was some boy’s adventure story where all the moms die early or something…”

[System: ???]

She kept going: “Turns out they retired because of Psychic Power disorder. From what you’re hinting, S Commanders, no, maybe anyone with S-level Psychic Power, can get this illness?”

[System: Correct.] Confetti practically burst in its voice: [There is a Magiplant in this world that treats Psychic Power disorder. For two million, I’ll give you the Dungeon location and the full formula for the medicine.]

Qian Qi’s eyes narrowed. [A windfall from the sky.]

She looked at Si Kong Wang and asked in a low, steady voice: “Classmate Si Kong, is your mother’s condition the kind that only S-level Psychic Power users get? Psychic Disorder?”

Si Kong Wang sucked in a breath. He glanced around, saw no one close enough to hear, and quickly led Qian Qi outside.

He whispered, shaken: “How did you know?” S-level Awakeners who overused their power did fall into mental disorder. At first they stayed rational during short episodes, but his mother had overdrawn for thirty years. Her Psychic Power was completely scrambled. She had lost her reason and become… mad. The whole thing was kept secret to avoid public panic. If people heard that the strongest could fall ill and go insane, who would still believe they could protect anyone?

Qian Qi asked plainly: “Do you want to save your mom?”

“Of course!” Si Kong Wang’s eyes went red as he gripped her shoulders. “Do you have a way, Qian Qi? Do you?”

“Calm down,” she said, soothing him until he steadied. Then she laid it out: “Pay me four million in medical fees, and I can cure your mother.”

[System: Hey. That markup you’re taking as a middleman is too shady.]

Si Kong Wang stared, stunned, then seized on the hope: “Classmate Qian! If you can save my mother, forget four million, I’d pay forty million without a second thought.”

Qian Qi clutched his shoulders back, even more excited: “Perfect, Classmate Si Kong. Then let’s make the deal for forty million.”

Si Kong Wang: [???]

[System: ???] [Qian Qi, did you just sprint a hundred meters up the pole I handed you?]