"My Frost Dragon has been in a weakened state lately. Its strength is only about eighty percent of normal."
Fang Si described the symptoms. "It also can't swallow or absorb food or potions."
The doctor pulled out a bunch of instruments and began running tests on the Frost Dragon's vital signs. Now THIS is what professional looks like!
"Preliminary diagnosis suggests it swallowed something from an Alternate Dimension."
The doctor frowned slightly and came to a tentative conclusion. He wrote out a slip and said, "Go to the blood test department and get a blood analysis!"
Fang Si nodded, took the slip, and recalled the Frost Dragon.
The three of them left the consultation room. Chen Shu started bragging. "My queue was pretty fast, right?"
"Fast! But tomorrow, don't come with us. I'm afraid a mob is going to beat you up."
"..." Chen Shu rubbed his chin. "It won't be that bad, will it?"
But a bad feeling crept into his heart. He made up his mind to stay in the hotel tomorrow.
The three arrived at the blood test department and got in line. That's when a young woman walked toward them from the opposite direction.
Fang Si recognized her immediately and called out, "Little Qinghan!"
The young woman turned sharply.
"It's you!"
Chen Shu and Zhang Dali spoke in unison. They hadn't expected to run into Wang Qinghan at the hospital.
"Sister Fang Si? And you two?"
Wang Qinghan looked equally surprised. Then recognition dawned on her.
"You know each other?"
Fang Si raised an eyebrow and looked between the three of them.
Chen Shu grinned. "Of course we know her. It's the Loan King, Qinghan."[1]
"..." Wang Qinghan's smile froze. "I'm Wang Qinghan. YOU'RE the Loan King."
"We took the train here with her," Zhang Dali explained, looking between Fang Si and Wang Qinghan. "How do you two know each other?"
"We played together since we were kids. Unfortunately, Qinghan moved away later."
Chen Shu's eyes went wide. "Sister Fang Si, weren't you OUR childhood friend?"
Fang Si curled her lip. "Back then you two were still playing with pee and mud. I was too disgusted to play with you."[2]
Wang Qinghan covered her mouth and laughed. She hadn't expected such a coincidence.
"By the way, Little Qinghan, why are you at Huaxia Hospital? Is something wrong with your contract spirit?"
Wang Qinghan sighed. "I took out a loan from a loan shark before. To pay it back, I entered the underground spirit fighting arena[3] in Nanjiang City. I won a big prize, but my contract spirit got seriously injured."
Chen Shu and Zhang Dali exchanged glances. They hadn't expected her to actually pay off the debt. They'd assumed she'd skipped town.
"It's fine. Huaxia Hospital can heal anything. It won't affect your studies." Fang Si offered some comfort, then asked, "You should be starting your third year of high school now, right?"
Wang Qinghan nodded. "Yeah, once summer break ends, I'll be a third-year."
"Keep at it. Try to get into a good university. It'll take a lot of pressure off you."
Fang Si's tone was gentle—completely different from her usual self. "If you ever need anything, just call me. You have my number."
Wang Qinghan said, "I'm okay for now. I have money. Nanjiang Second High gave me quite a bit in transfer fees."
"Hm?"
Chen Shu, who'd been silent, suddenly spoke up. "Nanjiang Second High? Transfer fees?"
"Yeah. I was originally at Nanjiang First High, but Nanjiang Second High paid me to transfer into their special training class."
"Wait! Wait! Let me process this!"
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. "So you're saying Nanjiang Second High's administration is PAYING you to come study there?"
"That's right." Wang Qinghan nodded.
What the hell? Have the school administrators lost their minds? Paying people to use school resources?
Every student in our special training class worked their asses off to test in!
Wang Qinghan added, "I heard they recruited some other students too."
Chen Shu frowned. "Hold on, what kind of talent do you people have? Is it really worth paying for?"
"Maybe because my Beast Taming talent is Excellent,[4] and my contract spirit is A-rank?"
"Never mind then!" Chen Shu felt like he'd just embarrassed himself.
Beast Taming talent was divided into four tiers: Common, Outstanding, Excellent, and Transcendent. The higher the talent, the more efficiently one could cultivate Beast Taming Power.
Wang Qinghan was practically guaranteed to become a Level 9 Beast Tamer before the college entrance exam. She was on par with Xu Xiaoyu—another potential candidate for Huaxia Academy.
It seemed Nanjiang Second High had been driven mad by last year's senior class. If they failed again this year, the school would probably never recover.
Wang Qinghan waved her blood test slip. "Sister Fang Si, I need to go see the doctor now."
"Okay, we'll catch up later!"
As Wang Qinghan walked away, Fang Si turned to them. "From now on, Little Qinghan will be at your school. Look after her."
"Her parents were Level 8 Beast Tamers. They died in an Alternate Dimension when she was in middle school. She's been working part-time jobs ever since to support herself and her younger sister."
Zhang Dali nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Sister Fang Si! Whether Second High is chaotic or not—Chen Pi decides!"
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. "Decides my ass! Her talent is that good—does she need me looking after her?"
One is the bottom of the special training class. The other is a star student the school paid to recruit. How are these even comparable?
Fang Si pursed her lips. "Whatever. I've always felt something's off about you anyway. Going from an ordinary person to a Level 6 Beast Tamer in one month? Even Huaxia Academy doesn't have anyone like that."
Chen Shu sighed and nodded. "Fine, I'll do my best to look after her."
Soon, the Frost Dragon's blood was drawn and the analysis results came back. The doctor reached a final conclusion.
It had swallowed some unknown spirit fruit in the Alternate Dimension. Once it finished digesting it, not only would it be fine—its strength would actually increase.
Fang Si let out a breath of relief. "School doesn't have anything going on right now. I'll take you two around the Capital's outskirts tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow. The day after tomorrow is better."
Chen Shu spoke up. He needed to lay low in the hotel tomorrow.
Fang Si's lips curved into a smile. "And here I thought you were actually brave."
She called Wang Qinghan, but learned that she needed to stay at the hospital to care for her contract spirit and couldn't leave for now.
"Let's go get lunch first!"
"You guys go ahead. I'm heading back to the hotel!"
Chen Shu glanced around nervously, clutching the boxed meal he'd brought, and hurried off.
He'd diagnosed dozens of patients that morning. Some of them were even Silver-rank experts. He had every reason to be scared!
Some things were like that—the more you thought about them, the more afraid you became.
Two days later, early morning.
Fang Si drove up to the hotel entrance.
Chen Shu and Zhang Dali grabbed their bags and headed out.
Fang Si grinned. "Chen Pi, still alive?"
Chen Shu sniffled. "Barely. Sneezed all day yesterday."
This guy was probably getting cursed out left and right yesterday.
"Let's go. I'll take you to Taiqing Mountain around the Capital!"
The three of them sped off in a cloud of dust.
Taiqing Mountain was a famous tourist destination on the outskirts of the Capital. Visitors from other cities almost always made a trip there.
Chen Shu glanced at Zhang Dali's phone screen. "Dali, watching a stream?"
Zhang Dali's face was a picture of concentration. He was completely absorbed.
Chen Shu leaned over. On the screen, a sweet-looking girl was livestreaming herself cooking.
He sighed and patted Zhang Dali's shoulder with the weight of a life mentor.
"Watch her a hundred times, and she's still not yours. But read books a hundred times, and the knowledge becomes yours. Wake up—our mission is to build the motherland!"[5]