Chapter 20 Twenty Minutes Later

Magic Engineering Academy Main Building, fifth floor.

Floor-to-ceiling glass windows filled the hallway with natural light. Faculty members of the Magic Engineering Academy occasionally passed by, and the carpet on the hardwood floor reduced footsteps and noise.

Loren, the Dean of the Sage Academy, wearing a classic black suit with a white shirt and gold tie, the buttons and collar adorned with rhombus-shaped Holy Radiance emblems, led Lan Qi from the stairwell to this floor.

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

They passed several other offices and classrooms, heading towards the Dean's office.

"Dean Loren, could I perhaps take a look at your [Primal Slab - Wind]?"

Lan Qi asked with a smile.

The first Slab holder he had met was perhaps the most gentle person in the ranks of the world's strong. He felt no sense of distance from Loren at all.

"Oh, I can't say no to you. I have to rush to the Church later. North Continent seems to be quite turbulent recently, which has led to a surge in affairs for the Church of the Goddess of Destiny. 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 Lan Qi would make this request.

Generally, Gold-level card creators are not qualified to make such a request to him, but although Lan Qi's Platinum-level card creator status has not been fully confirmed, Loren highly recognized Lan Qi's talent as a card creator, and he would not make things difficult for his own student.

For a magic engineer, observing a Slab isn't something that can be done in a short while; he would need to spare at least one or two hours for Lan Qi.

"Thank you, Dean!"

Lan Qi thanked him happily.

Soon.

The two arrived at the entrance of the Dean's office.

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

He could have just had a teacher from the Magic Engineering Academy take Lan Qi to see Professor Bola Ao.

But Loren was particularly worried that Lan Qi would further offend Professor Bola Ao, so he accompanied Lan Qi.

Ever since the second round of the entrance exam, after Loren rushed to the Magic Engineering Academy to ask Professor Bola Ao to repair the artificial Shadow World activation terminal, and Loren hadn't received approval for special reimbursement, he hadn't dared to see Professor Bola Ao for a long time.

This time, because of Lan Qi, the culprit's Platinum-level card creator matter, he had to meet Professor Bola Ao after all. Loren felt that he was bound for another scolding.

When Loren was still a student at the Sage Academy, Professor Bola Ao was already the Dean of the Magic Engineering Academy.

Even though he was the top freshman in the Sage Academy back then, he never thought he could cross departments and offend the Dean of the Magic Engineering Academy.

The more he recalled his well-behaved student days, the more outrageous Loren found Lan Qi.

Loren stopped his thoughts and raised his hand to gently knock on Professor Bola Ao's door.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

After receiving the response, Loren turned back to Lan Qi:

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

After Loren instructed Lan Qi, he steeled himself and pushed open the door, walking into the Magic Engineering Academy Dean's office.

Immediately after.

Standing at the door of the Dean's office.

Lan Qi soon heard a burst of scolding and apologies coming from the Dean's office—

"The repair costs will be at least 8,000 pounds! Who's going to pay for this? Are you paying, or are we? If it comes out of the Magic Engineering Academy's funds, I'll have to skin that kid alive!"

"Rest assured, I've already applied to His Majesty the King for special funding. If I really can't manage it, I'll personally cover it and won't let the Magic Engineering Academy lose a single penny of research funding."

"..."

It seemed that Dean Loren had been scolded even worse by Professor Bola Ao during the entrance exam.

"Let me see that kid."

Along with those words from inside the door.

Lan Qi only saw the door of the Dean's office suddenly open, and a gentle breeze like a cloud lifted him and floated him into the Dean's office.

In this avant-garde building, the Dean's office space was also full of streamlined design and clear geometric lines. The windows were large 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 desk as spacious as a surgical table stood majestically, the desktop clean and organized, shining under the lights with its smooth silver metal legs.

Professor Bola Ao was sitting at the desk, scrutinizing Lan Qi with a slight frown.

Standing on the side of the office, Loren was crestfallen. He flicked his fingers, obviously using wind magic to carry Lan Qi in.

Lan Qi's toes touched the ground, standing firmly on the carpet in the Dean's office, looking at Dean Loren with surprise.

In his heart, he couldn't help but marvel at how convenient Dean Loren's magic was. It would be great if he could be suspended all the time.

Then, Lan Qi turned his attention to Professor Bola Ao, whose anger hadn't subsided.

He probably understood why the old man was angry.

Because he had heard the entire conversation between the two outside the door.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Magic Engineering Academy Dean's office was exceptionally dry and oppressive, the air almost able to be cut open.

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

Loren only hoped that Lan Qi could be well-behaved.

Don't anger Professor Bola Ao.

However, to Loren's surprise.

Lan Qi not only did not retreat, but instead walked generously towards Professor Bola Ao.

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

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

"What?"

Professor Bola Ao asked suspiciously, with his arms crossed.

Eight thousand pounds was not a small sum, even for Loren. How could Lan Qi, a mere student, confidently claim to be able to solve it so easily?

Lan Qi smiled confidently and said:

"How about this, Dean Loren can help you continue to apply for research funding from the King, but don't write 'repairing the Shadow World activation terminal' as the reason. Instead, change it to 'further research on existing problems'. Then, you can issue a fine to my father, Noe·Wilford, for compensation for the damaged terminal, along with my confession. If the King doesn't approve it, you can take the 8,000 pounds from my father. If the King approves it, you take the 8,000 pounds from the King first, and we'll split my father's 8,000 pounds seven-three, you get seven, I get three. The funds from both sides are non-conflicting and don't count as fraudulently claiming a grant from the King."

Lan Qi finished speaking, clasping his hands together, as if the problem had disappeared.

"Hiss—"

Professor Bola Ao gasped upon hearing this, carefully sizing up Lan Qi.

After the most important funding problem was solved, and he might even make a profit, Professor Bola Ao found Lan Qi, who was about to become a Platinum-level card creator at such a young age, more and more pleasing to the eye.

The Magic Engineering Academy needed talents who could make the meter run backwards!

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

Professor Bola Ao stood up, walked to Lan Qi's side, patted him on the shoulder, and his tone became more appreciative.

Judging from the fact that Lan Qi could say such outrageous things, his father, Mr. Noe·Wilford, should also be quite wealthy.

"Professor Bola Ao, I admire you very much, and I've been your fan for a long time. I've read all your books published in South Vantina, and I want to take more of your classes in the future. If you need safety testing, I'll definitely do my part."

Lan Qi scratched the back of his head, he naturally understood what Professor Bola Ao meant, and said with a humble smile.

He would just consider his father's money as tuition, as well as an investment in the great construction of magic engineering.

Moreover, when his father learns about his excellent studies in the future, he will definitely be very happy!

"Besides the matters of the Card Creator Association, you can find me on the second floor of the Old Liberal Arts Building most afternoons, just downstairs from the Student Union. I'm basically always there in the laboratory researching new magic engineering items. You can come over and give me a hand when you're free, and you can ask me directly if you don't understand anything about magic engineering."

After many years, Professor Bola Ao finally met a young man he felt was promising.

Talent was one aspect.

The most important thing was that he knew how to play the game.

In the distance.

In a place that was almost forgotten by this sudden harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

"..."

Loren watched Lan Qi naturally discuss ways to quickly make money with Professor Bola Ao, the most eccentric person in the Magic Engineering Academy.

He felt a lump in his throat.

Why did he endure that scolding just now?

Why was he scolded by Professor Bola Ao for Lan Qi's sake earlier?

Loren only felt that life was not worth it.

He finally realized that whether it was during the entrance exam, in the Shadow World, or in the work of the Student Union.

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

It was purely by luck that this *zha zhong* (a rascal) had survived until now.

Shadow World starting tomorrow!

(End of this chapter)