Qin Siyang asked, "So the matter's settled?"
"Yeah, settled, settled," Zhao Longfei was grinning from ear to ear, "This time we were purely trying to solve the financial problem, so when we submit the gray-card materials to the Management Department, we can ask for fewer, or even none, of the Sequence potions. Convert everything into cash instead."
"All of it into cash? Don't fleece the Management Department bald. Minister Tang still has to answer to people."
"Relax, I know what I'm doing. Convert the Sequence potions into cash at seventy percent of the market price. Minister Tang won't make things difficult."
Qin Siyang frowned, "Seventy percent? Then why don't you just sell them yourself on the black market?"
"You think selling stuff is that easy? I take the Sequence potions from the Management Department and can immediately sell them all off? If you want to unload a large batch of Sequence potions, you definitely have to spread them across different underground markets before they can be fully absorbed. Storage, transportation, retail, what part of that doesn't cost money?"
"More importantly, what I'm short on right now is time. I don't have the energy to sell them bit by bit. Being able to exchange them directly for cash is the best option."
Qin Siyang nodded, "Alright. When it comes to business, you definitely know more than I do. I won't pretend to teach an expert."
Then he crossed his legs and, with a slightly instructive tone, said to Zhao Longfei, "But there are a couple other things I need to mention. First, about Minister Tang helping out: President Zhao, it's best if you don't meet him face to face. That way people can't make up stories. Even though we're upright and clean, we still have to watch out for hidden arrows."
"Second, if Minister Tang really does give South Glory a big hand, we at South Glory shouldn't forget to thank him for his hard work. But we also can't make it too obvious."
After hearing this, Zhao Longfei looked helpless, "I say, Boss Qin, even though I'm really grateful for your help with this matter… you teaching me how to do things, isn't that a bit like adding icing to icing?"
Qin Siyang said calmly, "Afei, I haven't sent your number to Minister Tang yet. Watch how you talk."
"I—Yes, Boss Qin, Boss Qin is right. Boss Qin's teaching is correct. I've learned a lot from Boss Qin's words."
Seeing Zhao Longfei being put in his place, Qin Siyang burst out laughing and picked up the folder.
"I'm off!"
"You kid, pay attention at the hearing!"
Qin Siyang waved the folder, "Of course! Maybe I'll even need your help with something."
"If there's a problem, contact me right away. Zhao Longju will be there to receive you. If anything urgent happens, let him handle it. Don't hold back."
"Don't worry, I won't."
Watching Qin Siyang's departing back, Zhao Longfei couldn't help but smile faintly.
Only then did Lin Yaman snap back to her senses, "This student Qin Siyang… he's becoming more and more extraordinary…"
"He's not becoming extraordinary. He was extraordinary to begin with. He's just finally getting the space to stretch his arms and legs," Zhao Longfei happily lit another cigar, "I told you before, don't always look down on people who come from muddy backgrounds. It's easy to misjudge."
Lin Yaman adjusted her glasses, "Individual examples can't overturn conclusions that hold true in most situations."
Zhao Longfei smiled at her, "Individual examples might not overturn conclusions that hold in most situations, but they can overturn the majority."
Then Zhao Longfei dialed a number.
"Hello, big brother. Send me a copy of the information on Tang Wanjing, the head of the Management Department."
"No, I'm not that bored. It's South Glory's funding problem, Little Qin asked Tang Wanjing to help solve it. I'll see what Tang Wanjing might be lacking and show some gratitude."
"Yeah, it was Little Qin who helped. Right, not that he tied Tang Wanjing up and threatened him to agree. Yeah, the Little Qin I'm talking about is Qin Siyang, not Qin Yingguang."
"Stop overthinking. I was standing right next to Little Qin when he made the call. I clearly heard Tang Wanjing strongly supporting him. If you ask me why, I'd guess Little Qin put some kind of spell on him."
"Mm, that's it. We can finally breathe a little easier too. I know, we won't treat that kid unfairly."
"You said you happen to have a surprise for him? What surprise?"
"What?"
Zhao Longfei slammed the table and shot to his feet.
"Wait, this counts as a damn surprise? Big brother, why didn't you discuss it with me first?"
"I… forget it. I won't tell Qin Siyang. I'll wait for him to come question me himself."
"Big brother, next time it involves Qin Siyang, give me a heads-up first! Sigh!"
Zhao Longfei hung up, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair, taking two deep breaths.
The fatigue that had just eased up came rushing back again.
———
After tidying up, Qin Siyang took a shower when someone knocked on the door.
He opened it and saw Wen Shu holding a bowl of porridge.
"Hm? Why didn't you have the service staff bring it today?"
Wen Shu smiled, "I heard from Xuanxuan that you're leaving today to deal with your thesis, so I went to the kitchen and made a bowl of porridge for you as a send-off."
"You made this…", Qin Siyang immediately took the bowl and nodded repeatedly, "Great! Thank you!"
Wen Shu said, "Make sure you protect yourself."
"I will!"
Qin Siyang slowly swallowed the bowl of porridge, wishing he could savor it over and over like a cow chewing cud, practically turning into a true Ruminant Guest, his expression full of enjoyment.
"Really someone who can appear in the hall and work in the kitchen."
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Hello, Old Li?"
"Little Qin, we're assembling and setting off."
"Alright."
Qin Siyang reluctantly finished the remaining porridge, then quickly licked the bottom of the bowl clean before heading out.
———
When he arrived at the Miracle Building, all the professors were already gathered in the first-floor lobby.
Chang Tianxiang paced back and forth while anxiously checking his watch.
Frowning, he said, "What's going on with Tianxiong! Late for something like this? He really can't tell what's important!"
Li Tianming tried to calm him, "Old Chang, don't worry. Chang Er probably ran into some tricky god outside the safe zone and is figuring out how to deal with it."
Lu Daoxing, whose eyes were bloodshot and face full of exhaustion, also said, "Yeah. Chang Er has always been punctual and never late. If he hasn't arrived now, he must've run into some trouble."
Meanwhile, Qin Siyang stood to the side playing with his fingers, not saying a word about Chang Tianxiong, as if he were an unrelated bystander.
He didn't want to talk about Chang Tianxiong's situation.
And now, aside from Li Tianming, he no longer had that absolute level of trust in the others.
Wu Yu said, "Old Chang, we still have plenty of time. Let's wait a bit longer."
"No! Who knows when he'll come back," Chang Tianxiang said unhappily, "We need to get to Area 134 early. We still have to familiarize ourselves with the situation there so Guo Jiuxiao and the others don't cause trouble in the shadows."
Li Tianming glanced at Qin Siyang. Seeing that Qin Siyang remained silent, he assumed Qin Siyang also wanted to leave earlier, so he said, "Alright, then let's go first. Even if President Zhao is helping scout the path over there, we should still arrive early and settle in so we know what we're dealing with."
"Let's go."
They came to the room Qin Siyang used to enter and leave the safe zone. Lu Daoxing took out the capsule cabin, and everyone sat inside one after another.
Lu Daoxing grabbed Li Tianming, "Old Li, I'm too sleepy. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep while driving, so you take the wheel of the capsule cabin."
"Old Lu, are you kidding me! I've never driven your drill cabin before!"
"It's simple. This is the steering wheel, this is the gas, this is the brake. Just drive. Let Little Qin sit in the passenger seat, he's driven my drill cabin before, and the principles are pretty much the same."
"Then why not just let Little Qin drive?"
Lu Daoxing jerked his chin toward Qin Siyang, "Didn't you see that stack of documents in Little Qin's hands? He's probably still got other things to deal with."
Li Tianming sighed, "Fine. Honestly, you knew we'd be using the capsule cabin to travel to the meeting, yet you still didn't think to get some rest."
Lu Daoxing yawned, "You've never been in debt before. When the day comes that you need to help Chen Fenghe repay debts, you might end up just like me."
"Cut it out. Fenghe wouldn't mess with futures trading."
"Everyone has their own debts, Old Li. Don't speak so absolutely. What if one day someone sets her up and causes a serious medical accident? Let's see if you can still laugh then."
Li Tianming frowned deeply, "You really have a crow's mouth! Go! Go! Go! Get to the back and sleep already. Stop being an eyesore here!"
"Alright, I've been waiting for you to say that."
Li Tianming drove the capsule cabin, carrying everyone as they moved through the underground passages.
After confirming that their course and destination hadn't deviated, Li Tianming turned on the conversation jammer and glanced at Qin Siyang with a relaxed look.
"Little Qin, the matter of the Path of Believers worked out, right?"
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