Fang Si saw that the two were chatting happily, but Ye Qing adamantly refused to accept the potion.
She sighed and tucked the potion back into her bag.
The three of them shot the breeze for a while. Despite the enormous gap in age and status, Ye Qing carried himself without a trace of arrogance, constantly reminiscing about the old days.
Chen Shu cracked sunflower seeds and listened with rapt attention. It was like listening to a live audiobook.
Ye Qing's adventures in various Alternate Dimensions, in particular, filled Chen Shu with longing.
He'd only been to Frost Canyon and Qingyuan Forest -- both among the lowest-tier Alternate Dimensions -- yet every single trip had been an absolute rush.
Chen Shu silently swore an oath in his heart: In this lifetime, I will blow up every single Alternate Dimension!
He was only eighteen. So what if he wanted to get his hands on a nuke or two?
Around noon, Chen Shu aggressively insisted on mooching a meal.
The three of them ate a simple lunch at Professor Ye Qing's home.
Chen Shu's eyes rolled craftily. "Grandpa Ye, hypothetically speaking -- if I reached Black Iron rank before the College Entrance Exam, could I get into Huaxia Academy?"
"Quit bullshitting!"
Ye Qing waved his hand dismissively. "You dreaming, kid? You know how many years it's been since anyone's pulled that off?"
Chen Shu pressed on. "Forget whether it's a dream or not. IF I hit Black Iron rank, could I get guaranteed admission to Huaxia Academy?"
"If you actually pull that off, I'll personally deliver the goddamn Huaxia Academy acceptance letter to your front door!"
"You said it!"
Chen Shu's face lit up with excitement, and a wave of relief washed through his chest.
He'd genuinely been worried that the Slime's F-rank potential rating would tank his chances. Now that he had Ye Qing's guarantee, a massive weight had lifted off his shoulders.
"As a Gold-rank Beast Tamer, if you go back on your word, you'd be cursed by the entire world -- carved onto the Pillar of Shame!"[1]
"Enough! Quit your goddamn yapping!"
Ye Qing's mouth twitched violently. The imagery was way too vivid -- he could already feel the public shaming.
"I, Ye Qing, have always been a man of my word!"
Ye Qing hadn't taken any of it seriously in the slightest. Sure, Chen Shu was already Level 9 -- strong enough to be called the top high school senior in all of Nanjiang City.
But in every other major city, Level 9 high school seniors were a dime a dozen, alright?
Not a single one of them dared claim they could reach Black Iron rank before the College Entrance Exam.
"Then we're all good!"
A smile crept across Chen Shu's face -- the smile of a scheme successfully executed.
"Don't smile like that, kid. It's creepy as hell!"
Ye Qing's brows furrowed. He didn't know Chen Shu well, but something about all this felt deeply wrong.
That afternoon, Chen Shu and Fang Si left Ye Qing's home.
Ye Qing watched the two of them walk away, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
His identity wasn't just that of a retired Huaxia Academy professor. He'd once held a key position in the Dragon Guard.
Having come from a common family himself, he found himself genuinely fond of both Fang Si and Chen Shu.
Ye Qing moved to put away the fruit the two had brought. He reached for the bag and found... nothing but an empty sack.
He shook his head and muttered:
"Little brat. Said he came to visit, ate all my fruit, then stole my two pears on the way out..."
...
"Sis Fang Si, here you go!"
Chen Shu pulled out a pear and handed it to Fang Si, then bit into the other one himself.
"Chen Pi, maybe I should look for another opportunity to try again. Otherwise, your chances of getting into Huaxia Academy..."
A hint of worry crept between Fang Si's brows. She'd intended to bribe Ye Qing, but the plan had fallen through.
"It's fine, Sis Fang Si. A potion that expensive -- just keep it for yourself!"
Chen Shu shook his head firmly. "Old Man Ye is a professor and a Gold-rank Beast Tamer. Who knows how much wealth he's sitting on? He doesn't need your potion!"
"Besides, I've got this! What's there to worry about?"
Chen Shu dug into his pocket and pulled out... a voice recorder.
"You carry a goddamn voice recorder on you?!"
Fang Si's expression froze. "Is there anything in that backpack of yours besides books? Anything at all?"
Chen Shu shrugged. "This is called crisis awareness. It's got Grandpa Ye's exact words on it -- he guaranteed that if I reach Black Iron rank, he'll get me into Huaxia Academy!"
Fang Si asked, "Can you actually reach Black Iron rank before the exam?"
If he could truly pull it off, he wouldn't even need Ye Qing's help. He'd naturally qualify as a Huaxia Academy student on his own merits.
"Sis Fang Si, tell me -- should I take on a master?"
His eyes were practically glowing. "Grandpa Ye is all alone. I see him and my heart just aches!"
Fang Si said, "You're so fake it hurts..."
"Everything I said is the truth!"
Chen Shu laughed. "Hehe." If he could successfully become Ye Qing's disciple...
It probably wouldn't be long before he could naturally inherit a massive fortune.
"Achoo!"
Back at home, Ye Qing suddenly sneezed. He muttered under his breath, "What the fuck kind of weather is this? Even MY constitution is catching cold?"
...
Today was New Year's Eve. Following their tradition from years past, the three families would gather together for the reunion dinner.
Chen Shu and Fang Si both headed to Zhang Dali's home.
"Where'd you two go?"
Zhang Dali was enthusiastically playing a mobile game and glanced up at them.
"As upstanding young citizens, we naturally went to visit a lonely elder!"
Chen Shu coughed once and put on a face of absolute righteousness.
Ye Qing was, technically, a lonely elder...
"Holy crap, since when do YOU have that kind of moral compass?"
Zhang Dali shot up from the couch. "Sis Fang Si definitely dragged you there!"
"Enough talk. Let's game for a bit."
Chen Shu had been about to refuse, but then realized he had nothing better to do and pulled out his phone as well.
"There's a new mobile game called Beast Alliance Mobile Game. It's pretty fun -- you two should download it."
Zhang Dali declared with absolute conviction, "Honestly, if this game released a PC version, it'd blow up for sure! I'm seriously thinking about writing a suggestion to the game company."
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. His eyes carried a profound depth of meaning. "Then why do you think they called it Beast Alliance MOBILE Game?"
Fang Si wore the same amused smile. Zhang Dali's brain really wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
Zhang Dali's eyes went wide with sudden enlightenment. "It's hinting that they'll release a PC version later?"
"Oh, give me a break!"
Chen Shu shook his head. Right at that moment, his phone actually rang.
"Can't be helped -- too many business deals. The greater the ability, the heavier the responsibility."
Chen Shu sighed dramatically and picked up the call.
"Is this student Chen Shu?"
"Who's this?"
"I'm a professor at Nancang Pharmacy University -- Zhou Yujiang!"
Zhou Yujiang had been tossing and turning for days, unable to sleep. He finally couldn't hold it in anymore and made the call.
"Don't know you! How'd you get my number?"
Chen Shu frowned. His first instinct was that it was a scam. "It's New Year's, man. Can you not run scams today?"
"I really am a university professor! I have a Silver-rank Pharmacist certification!"
Chen Shu replied flatly, "Oh. So do you know post-partum care for sows?"[2]
"..."
Zhou Yujiang's expression froze. This kid doesn't play by the goddamn rules!
I teach potion synthesis, not pig breeding!
"See? I knew you were a scammer. And you still won't admit it?"
"Wait, don't hang up -- I can learn!"
"Then come find me after you've learned it!"
Chen Shu was about to end the call when the other man's next words stopped him dead.
"Do you want to come to Nancang Pharmacy University? I can get you guaranteed admission!"
Chen Shu was about to respond when a set of options suddenly appeared before his eyes.