Chapter 121: Chapter 121: What level, dare to compete with her on the same stage?
That evening, Sikong Wang very reservedly ate 18 dumplings, and under the supervision of Qian Qi and Kid A, ran 10 laps around the orphanage.
Sitting on the ground, panting heavily, Sikong Wang looked at Qian Qi who was standing by, face not flushed and breathing steady, and couldn’t help but ask, "Why am I the only one running? Why aren’t you running?"
Although his weight was indeed over the limit, Qian Qi’s weight didn’t seem to be at a healthy level either?
"You don’t understand." Kid A chuckled, "She calls this being lenient with oneself and strict with others, or you could understand it as holding others to your own standards."
Qian Qi: ...
You learn a few phrases and you think you’ve got it all figured out, huh?
"If you keep yapping, I’ll sign you up for extracurricular classes, eight of them." Qian Qi chuckled.
Kid A: ...
Kid A hurriedly mimed sewing his mouth shut.
Sikong Wang looked at the lively pair and couldn’t help but smile.
He envied the atmosphere of this orphanage; the director and the teachers were all gentle and kind, and each child smiled so sincerely and happily, as if nothing in the world could dim the smiles on their faces.
To maintain those smiles, Qian Qi must have put in a lot of effort as well...
Sikong Wang slowly looked at Qian Qi beside him, his gaze harboring a trace of faint distraction.
Could she... save him as well?
——
The next morning, Qian Qi woke up early and identified the remaining three C-level Magic Plant Leaves in the safe.
Unfortunately, these three weren’t Magic God Grass either.
"That’s too bad." Qian Qi handed the safe back to Sikong Wang, shaking her head helplessly, "These aren’t it either."
Sikong Wang received the box with disappointment, but then perked up, "I’ll look for you again when the next batch of Magic Plants arrives."
Qian Qi nodded, and after seeing Sikong Wang off, she rummaged a letter out from under her bed, then entered the Vegetable Garden Dungeon and retrieved a box of hemostatic medicine from the small hut.
The plains in the Vegetable Garden Dungeon were vast, and the soil was fertile, naturally incomparable to the barren hillside at the school, so Qian Qi could plant as many Magic Plants as she wanted.
Here, Magic Beasts were killed and respawned every two days, providing an endless supply of Magic Beast blood and flesh.
Every time a batch of Magic Plants was harvested, Qian Qi could fill a whole box of hemostatic medicine.
Xiang Wen Yun said, besides Kid A, there were also Xiao Min, Xiao An, and three children who already turned seven, and the tuition for the nearby elementary school was seven thousand per year per person.
However, this tuition covered book fees, accommodation, and meals, which was essentially free compulsory education.
Six times seven is forty-two thousand, so Qian Qi needed to earn forty-two thousand first.
Stuffing the envelope and the hemostatic medicine into her backpack, Qian Qi headed to the E-level dungeon next door where she’d previously sold hemostatic medicine and diligently set up her small stall.
Now that the summer vacation was halfway through, the Magic Plant Research Institute had begun distributing the hemostatic medicine they produced. What surprised Qian Qi was that the Institute had also independently researched and developed a Defense Fruit, but due to improper cultivation methods, the Defense Fruit’s effects could only last for a minute at most.
Furthermore, without the enhancement of Qian Qi’s skill "Divine Hand" to increase the magic plants’ degree of demonization, the Research Institute’s version of the hemostatic medicine had significantly reduced production and efficacy, resulting in a price only slightly cheaper than Qian Qi’s.
So for several consecutive days, Qian Qi’s blood-stopping magic potion was in such high demand that some people even waited at the dungeon entrance every day for Qian Qi to come sell the medicine.
Qian Qi had made quite a bit of money during these days, but the medicine dealers in the vicinity were having a miserable time.
The Magic Plant Research Institute’s hemostatic medicine was sold nationwide, and each batch was limited in quantity, requiring a rush to purchase.
The medicine dealers had to work hard to snatch the medicine, intending to sell it at a high price to earn a middleman profit, but with Qian Qi’s cheap and effective blood-stopping magic potion appearing, nobody wanted to buy the low-end version at a high price anymore.
The medicine dealers were very envious of Qian Qi and wanted to know her supply channel. However, after several attempts, they were deftly evaded by the slippery Qian Qi.
With their interests compromised, naturally, some medicine dealers wanted to drive Qian Qi away, making it impossible for her to stay in the area.
"Hey, I say, young brother, isn’t this hemostatic medicine of yours from the Magic Plant Research Institute’s batch of blood-stopping magic potions?" a medicine dealer stood in front of Qian Qi’s stall, looking down at Qian Qi with contempt and hidden jealousy, "It doesn’t have the institute’s patent mark on it, could it be from an unreliable channel?"
Qian Qi slightly lifted her straw hat, tilting her head.
Hmm, looks like her business was blocking some people’s money.
"I reckon it’s not only unreliable, but it probably has side effects. The Magic Plant Research Institute, for better or worse, is official, guaranteeing quality. Who knows if this blood-stopping magic potion from goodness knows where has harmful long-term effects?"
"Exactly! I guess this person must be an employee of the Magic Plant Research Institute, using their position to make money by selling defective rejects with side effects! Everyone, don’t buy it! Official is always the safer bet!"
"That’s right! This unbranded product might even have addictive properties, everyone be careful!"
The voices of several medicine dealers weren’t too loud or too low, just enough for the Awakeners planning to purchase medicine to hear, causing them to hesitate a bit.
In people’s hearts, official authority always weighed more. The Institute’s blood-stopping magic potion not only had clean and appealing packaging but also bore the Institute’s patent mark, providing recourse in case of side effects.
Whereas Qian Qi’s blood-stopping magic potion was simply packaged in a small transparent plastic bag, without any labeling, inevitably leading to suspicions that it might be discarded, defective samples from the Institute.
Qian Qi looked at the few people without saying anything, and seeing her silent, the medicine dealers felt more confident, becoming more arrogant at Qian Qi’s little stall.
"I say, kid, while the Awakeners haven’t come to settle accounts with you, you better scram from here!"
"Leave the medicine, we can’t let medicine with side effects enter the market, rest assured, we will destroy it for you!"
The medicine dealers were determined to drive Qian Qi away and take her medicine for themselves.
Once their loud exclamations of righteousness had drawn a crowd, Qian Qi slowly took the backpack beside her, pulled out an envelope, and opened it at a leisurely pace, extracting a piece of paper that was neither too thick nor too thin.
With a bright and gentle smile slowly spreading across her lips, she waved the paper in her hand, "Look, what’s this?"
The lead actor of the medicine dealers glanced carelessly, and in the next moment, his arrogant expression turned rigid. He bent down suddenly to look at Qian Qi, discovering that it was actually a certificate of exclusive sales rights issued by the Magic Plant Research Institute.
"Hehe, if you’re not buying medicine, then scram." Qian Qi bared a small tooth, her warm and brilliant smile suddenly turning fierce as she punched the ground, creating a big hole in an instant, "Or I’ll kill you!"
Medicine dealer: !!!
Damn it! How come this person is a Strength Type Awakener too!
Frightened by Qian Qi’s expression and punching power, the medicine dealers slunk away, and Qian Qi narrowed her eyes, casting a cold gaze towards the other medicine dealers.
By giving the blood-stopping magic potion to the Magic Plant Research Institute, she hoped it could be sold at a low price to benefit everyone, but these medicine dealers, leveraging the limited quantity to resell at high prices, had precisely hit Qian Qi’s bottom line.
How could these people do such unkind things?
Profiting from being a middleman was something only Qian Qi could do!
What class are you?! Daring to compete on the same stage with me???