Chapter 5 The Solution

Twenty minutes later.

The fifth floor of the Magic Engineering Institute's main building.

The floor-to-ceiling glass windows filled the entire hallway with natural light. Occasionally, faculty members from the Magic Engineering Institute would pass by, while the carpet laid on the original wood floors reduced footsteps and noise.

Loren, the head of the Sage Institute, dressed in a classic black suit with a white shirt and gold tie, with rhombus-shaped holy crest patterns on the buttons and collar, led Lanqi from the stairwell to this floor.

They walked along the corridor with glass curtain walls on the left, chatting from time to time in friendly and clear voices, like a mentor and a young friend.

They passed some other offices and classrooms along the way, heading towards the dean's office.

"Dean Loren, could I possibly borrow your [Primal Tablet - Wind] for a look?"

Lanqi asked with a smile.

The first tablet holder he had met was possibly the most gentle person among the world's strong, and Lanqi didn't feel any sense of distance from Loren at all.

"Oh, I can't do anything with you. I have to rush to the church later. North Continent seems to be quite turbulent recently, which has also greatly increased the affairs of the Goddess of Fate Church. Wait until I'm free in a few days, and I'll have someone notify you to come to my office."

Loren sighed helplessly, as if he knew Lanqi would ask this.

Generally speaking, Gold-level card makers are not qualified to make such a request to him. Although Lanqi's Platinum-level card maker status has not been fully confirmed, Loren highly recognizes Lanqi's card maker qualifications, and he would never make things difficult for his own student.

For a magic engineer to observe a tablet is not something that can be done in a short time, and he may need to spare at least one or two hours for Lanqi.

"Thank you, Dean!"

Lanqi thanked him happily.

Soon.

The two arrived at the door of the dean's office.

Loren didn't actually have to come in person today.

He could have just let a teacher from the Magic Engineering Institute take Lanqi to see Professor Bolaao.

But Loren was particularly worried that Lanqi would further offend Professor Bolaao, so he accompanied Lanqi.

Since the second round of the entrance examination, Loren had rushed to the Magic Engineering Institute to ask Professor Bolaao to repair the artificial Shadow World startup terminal, but Loren had not received approval for special reimbursement, and he had been afraid to see Professor Bolaao for a long time.

This time, because of Lanqi, the culprit's Platinum-level card maker affairs, he had to meet Professor Bolaao after all, and Loren felt that he was bound to be scolded again.

When Loren was still a student at the Sage Institute, Professor Bolaao was already the dean of the Magic Engineering Institute.

Even though he was the top freshman in the Sage Institute back then, he never thought he could provoke the dean of the Magic Engineering Institute across departments.

The more Loren recalled his law-abiding student days, the more he found Lanqi outrageous.

Loren stopped his thoughts and raised his hand to knock lightly on Professor Bolaao's door.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

After receiving the response, Loren turned to look at Lanqi:

"Don't come into the dean's office unless I call you."

Loren told Lanqi, then steeled himself and pushed open the door to enter the Magic Engineering Institute's dean's office.

Immediately afterwards.

Standing at the door of the dean's office.

Lanqi soon heard a burst of scolding and apologies from the dean's office -

"The repair costs will be at least 8,000 pounds! Who will pay for this? Will you pay or will we? If it comes out of the Magic Engineering Institute's funds, I'll have that kid's hide!"

"Don't worry, I've already applied for special funding from His Majesty the King. If I really can't handle it, I'll pay for it myself and won't let the Magic Engineering Institute lose any research funding."

"..."

It seemed that during the entrance examination, Dean Loren was scolded even worse by Professor Bolaao.

"Let me see that kid."

Accompanied by these words from inside the door.

Lanqi only saw the door of the dean's office suddenly open, and a gentle breeze like a cloud carried him into the dean's office.

In this avant-garde building, the space of the dean's office was also full of streamlined design and clear geometric lines. The windows were wide and transparent, allowing sunlight to freely fill the room, forming a dynamic painting with the bustling campus landscape outside.

At the core of the office, a white work table as wide as a surgical table stood majestically. The tabletop was clean and well-organized, shining under the light with the smooth silver metal legs.

Professor Bolaao was sitting at the table, frowning as he examined Lanqi.

Standing on the side of the office, Loren hung his head dejectedly. He slid his fingers lightly, obviously using wind magic to carry Lanqi in.

Lanqi's toes touched the ground, and he stood firmly on the carpet in the dean's office, looking at Dean Loren with surprise and a smile.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that Dean Loren's magic was too convenient. It would be great if he could always keep himself levitating.

Then, Lanqi turned his attention to Professor Bolaao, whose anger had not yet dissipated.

He actually understood why the old man was angry.

Because he had heard the entire conversation between the two of them outside the door just now.

At this moment, inside the dean's office of the Magic Engineering Institute, the atmosphere was unusually dry and oppressive, and the air could almost be cut open.

The nearly erupting but forcibly suppressed anger in the air was like a heat wave, silently spreading throughout the room, making people breathless.

Loren now only hoped that Lanqi could be a little more restrained.

Don't anger Professor Bolaao.

However, to Loren's surprise.

Lanqi not only did not retreat, but walked towards Professor Bolaao generously.

He stopped in front of the table, looked sincerely at the old magic engineer, and bowed to him:

"Professor Bolaao, regarding the research funding issue, I actually have a solution."

"What?"

Professor Bolaao asked suspiciously, arms crossed.

Eight thousand pounds was not a small sum, even for Loren. How could Lanqi, a mere student, have a way to confidently solve it at will?

Lanqi smiled confidently and said:

"How about this, let Dean Loren help you continue to apply for research funding from the King, but don't write the reason as 'repairing the Shadow World startup terminal', change it to 'further research on existing problems'. Then, give my father, Noe Wilfort, a fine, with the reason being compensation for the damaged terminal, and send it with my confession. If the King doesn't approve it, you can take the eight thousand pounds from my father. If the King approves it, you take the eight thousand pounds from the King first, and we split the eight thousand pounds from my father seven to three, you seven and me three. The funds from both sides are mutually independent and do not count as fraudulently claiming a share of funding from the King."

Lanqi finished speaking, clapping his hands together, as if the problem had disappeared.

"Hiss—"

Professor Bolaao took a deep breath when he heard this, and carefully looked at Lanqi a few times.

After solving the most important funding problem, and even possibly making a big profit, Professor Bolaao felt more and more pleasing to the eye as he looked at Lanqi, who was about to become a Platinum-level card maker at such a young age.

What their Magic Engineering Institute needed was this kind of talent who could make the electric meter run backwards!

"You're a very good kid. It seems that I can invite you to help us check the safety hazards of new magic items in the future. You are undoubtedly the best test candidate. I appreciate your divergent thinking."

Professor Bolaao stood up, walked to Lanqi's side, patted him on the shoulder, and his tone became more appreciative.

Judging from the fact that Lanqi could say such crazy things, his father, Mr. Noe Wilfort, should also be quite wealthy.

"Professor Bolaao, I especially admire you. I've been your fan for a long time. I've read all your books in South Wantina. I want to take more of your classes in the future. I'll definitely do my part for safety testing."

Lanqi scratched the back of his head. He naturally understood what Professor Bolaao meant and said with a humble smile.

His old man could just treat it as tuition and invest in the great construction of magical engineering.

Moreover, when his old man finds out that his studies are so excellent in the future, he will definitely be very happy!

"Apart from the Card Maker Association's affairs, you can find me on the second floor of the old liberal arts building most afternoons. It's just downstairs from the student union. I basically stay in that laboratory researching new magic engineering tools. You can come and give me a hand when you have free time. If you don't understand anything about magic engineering, you can ask me directly."

After many years, Professor Bolaao had finally met a young man he felt relatively optimistic about.

Talent was one aspect.

The main thing was that he was very savvy, which was the most important thing.

In the distance.

In a place that was about to be forgotten by this sudden harmonious and cheerful atmosphere.

"..."

Loren watched Lanqi naturally discuss with Professor Bolaao, the most eccentric professor in the Magic Engineering Institute, about ways to make money quickly.

For a moment, he felt like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Why did he get scolded just now?

Why was he scolded by Professor Bolaao for Lanqi's sake earlier?

Loren now only felt that life was not worth it.

He finally realized that whether it was during the entrance examination, in the Shadow World, or in the student union's work.

When faced with everyone's contradictions, Lanqi could always easily come up with a way to make everyone feel as uncomfortable as if they had eaten flies, but it did solve the problem and satisfied everyone's demands as much as possible.

This bastard is really lucky to have survived until now.

Shadow World tomorrow!

(End of this chapter)