Chapter 60: Funding Revitalizes the Cultivation World (60% Complete)
Su Xiaoyao had no idea that the two of them were taming themselves on their own behind the scenes. Even if she did know, she would only be pleased that they had grown up.
Her attention was focused on Helian Yi.
When she gazes intently at someone, it's hard for that person not to waver in their prejudice against her—the look is so sincere.
Helian Yi was no exception.
"Tell me, what kind of scheme are you plotting?" He coughed lightly, covering his lips, and looked away.
"It's nothing serious." Su Xiaoyao pretended to be coy. "It's just that I'm planning to open a restaurant at the university. Everything is ready except for buying a venue. We're discussing whether to bring Shui Fan on board."
Helian Yi's attention was drawn back, and he frowned as he asked, "Why are you looking for Shui Fan?"
When it comes to recruiting people, shouldn't it be a matter of whoever has the most money? It's obvious who the richest person is here.
He was a little unhappy about being ignored. Although they had been rivals before, they had gotten along quite well recently. Why was Su Xiaoyao isolating him?
Helian Yi gritted his teeth inwardly. If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain. He's never been unable to get what he wanted since he was a child.
Su Xiaoyao caught a glimpse of the dissatisfaction on his face, but replied without changing her expression, "His ability to turn tears into pearls can provide start-up capital."
Helian Yi raised his chin: "I can do it too. Money is the last thing I lack."
“But you don’t lack spirit stones.” Su Xiaoyao tilted her head and spread her hands. “Although Shui Fan is the crown prince of the Merfolk, most of what he brings ashore are practical spiritual artifacts, spiritual medicines, and spiritual talismans. He mentioned before that he lacks spirit stones, so I thought it would be most appropriate to bring him on board and have him provide some start-up capital.”
A glint of inspiration flashed in Helian Yi's eyes: "But he can't cry."
Su Xiaoyao said confidently, "That was before. Ever since the TV series 'The Legend of Zhen Huan' and 'The Legend of Wulin' were put on the store, he collected a bunch of pearls every day, laughing and crying."
Helian Yi remained silent.
He remembered the day he saw the Legend of Zhen Huan and Legend of Wulin appear in the system store.
The day was sunny and breezy. With 1818 away on his duty and not around, he idly opened the system shop and suddenly saw a pop-up notification for a limited-time new product.
Its rarity and high price indicate it's a high-quality item.
He clearly saw that it was an item with two book icons. For a moment, he forgot about the system store's tendency to sell misleading products and was not afraid to underestimate the speed and points of other taskers. He didn't even have time to open the description before buying it directly. In the end, he managed to grab one of the five limited edition items thanks to his swift and decisive purchase process.
Seeing that the limited-edition items sold out in a second, he thought he must have found a rare martial arts manual. Satisfied, he opened it to take a look—
The deceptive tactics used in online stores have reached a new level.
Those who managed to snag the limited-edition items became the laughingstock of the community on the system forum.
Unfortunately, he and Shui Fan were both quick-handed, blind, and penniless suckers who didn't read the introductions and weren't short of money.
To be fair, the TV series was quite good; it even played in my mind when I was meditating.
It's just that its value is far less than the listed price.
He had almost forgotten about the embarrassing incident because he was ripped off by the online store without any system notification.
"You know about this? You and Shui Fan have a pretty good relationship." Helian Yi said sarcastically for no apparent reason.
Unlike him who cut his losses in time, Shui Fan thought about it afterward and felt that he had lost money. He vowed to watch the TV series a hundred or eighty times to make up for his losses. However, he became more and more engrossed in watching it. Merfolk, who did not like sunbathing to begin with, became even less fond of going out. Except for necessary activities and foraging for food, he stayed in his room all day watching TV.
Others only knew that Shui Fan wore a magical artifact, had a low profile, and didn't like to be in crowds. It should be that only he and Shen Suqi knew exactly what he was doing in his room. However, Su Xiaoyao knew everything about his movements.
Helian Yi's molars became even more sore.
Su Xiaoyao made a "stop" gesture: "Stop, let me make this clear, I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend. I've watched those two TV series, so I have a lot in common with Shui Fan. We got to know each other after a while. Besides, he always wears a magical artifact that makes him less noticeable, and he's a deep-sea otaku. You and Xiaoqi, two cultivation fanatics, don't gossip with him or watch TV series together, which gave me an opportunity."
Xiao Tingyuan gently poked her shoulder with his index finger and said in a low voice, "Xiao Yao, this isn't how you use an opportunity."
“Oh right,” Su Xiaoyao immediately corrected, “that gave me the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.”
Xiao Tingyuan: "..." The more he tried to explain, the worse it got.
Su Xiaoyao sighed with regret: "It's a pity that Xiaoxi's talisman-drawing speed is like a photocopier. Since she became famous at the Lingzhou Grand Gathering, she has never been short of money, otherwise I would have poached her too."
Helian Yi was speechless: "So you're going to leave me all alone, huh?"
Su Xiaoyao gave a fake smile: "How could that be? Once my restaurant opens, I'll definitely invite you to come and visit often."
Helian Yi: "Then let me see your family enjoying themselves."
Su Xiaoyao said shyly, "Don't reveal other people's plans so early."
Helian Yi laughed: "You'll have to see if I agree before you try to poach my people. The benefits I can offer are much higher than those of your restaurant that hasn't even opened yet."
Seeing that he had taken the bait, Su Xiaoyao pretended to be distressed: "Don't be angry for no reason. It's just that I didn't include you in the game. I'll include you next time."
"Heh." Helian Yi said coldly, "I don't take advantage of 'later,' 'maybe,' or 'when the time comes' promises. This time is the best."
Su Xiaoyao continued hesitantly, "But..."
Helian Yi glanced at her: "You want to buy the venue, right?"
"Yes, but..."
Is this enough?
Su Xiaoyao was stuffed with an unclaimed Qiankun bag.
As she opened it, a thought flashed through her mind:
This box contains 100 million in cash.
Modern people are absolutely right!
She immediately beamed with joy: "Okay, Boss Helian, wait for my good news."
Helian Yi proudly raised his chin, ignored Su Xiaoyao's shoulder, and walked away.
Su Xiaoyao was left holding the Qiankun bag, grinning from ear to ear.
"Look, ever since she met me, little Helian has gotten rid of her zombie face and become so lively!" she said in a high-pitched, coquettish voice.
Xiao Tingyuan and Jiang Yun felt a chill run down their spines, and after rubbing the goosebumps off their arms, they exchanged a glance.
She's become much more lively, going from calm and collected to jumping up and down every few days... Helian Yi really doesn't know whether meeting Su Xiaoyao is a blessing or a curse.
Xiao Tingyuan got back to business and spoke first: "The cultivators here have all reached the Foundation Establishment stage. After they have stopped eating, they don't need to eat anymore. The restaurant can't be that big, can it?"
Su Xiaoyao waved her hand: "I've observed that there's no canteen here, which means the academy doesn't provide a place for people to eat. However, most of the young people here have just started fasting and haven't given up their appetites yet. Besides, the food I asked you to make isn't just ordinary food; it's food imbued with spiritual energy."
Xiao Tingyuan was surprised: "I... I can make some dishes with spiritual energy, but I'm not very good at it yet. It's fine for one or two tables, but I can't handle more than that."
"So in the early stages, I thought you would find some external aids. Dai Kui has a lot of plants that are suitable for making seasonings. When you treated us to a big meal, I chatted with her and she mentioned it." Su Xiaoyao took out the communication stone and contacted her on the spot.
Xiao Tingyuan was shocked: "I thought you weren't familiar with them."
Su Xiaoyao cast a disdainful glance at them: "Is there any situation that I, Su Xiaoyao, can't liven up? You guys can't even get a word out of me with three sticks, and diplomacy relies entirely on my overflowing enthusiasm."
They both lowered their heads in shame.
Xiao Tingyuan felt that as one of the partners, he should take on the responsibilities he should. So he voiced his concerns: "There are no ingredients on the island. The fresh vegetables and meats in the system shop are not cheap. Where are we going to get so many raw materials? Although ordinary Qiankun bags can slow down the flow of time, they cannot keep the food from spoiling."
"Moreover, we can't leave the academy right now, and hiring cultivators to transport us in would be too costly. Teleportation arrays are even more expensive, costing countless spirit stones to activate each time."
Su Xiaoyao looked relaxed and, without even looking up, said while busy sending messages, "That's why I need to find Shui Fan. How could I possibly ask someone to shed tears? Of course, there are other reasons for asking him."
Xiao Tingyuan and Jiang Yun pondered that when she said she wanted to ask Shui Fan for teardrops, they didn't really think there was anything wrong with it; it was indeed something she would do.
After sending the message, she looked up and said, "The Merfolk can reach any corner of the ocean. If we have them deliver fresh ingredients to our door regularly, I can persuade Xiao Ye to open a back door for us."
"This is what you call free labor," Xiao Tingyuan suddenly realized.
She used to use this term to describe the outer disciples of various sects.
"How can you describe them like that? This is the strength of our investors." Su Xiaoyao had already contacted Shui Fan at this time.
Before long, she straightened her neck again, her smile indicating that the communication was going smoothly.
"Done."
"He's so easy to talk to." Xiao Tingyuan was stunned.
Although Shui Fan doesn't usually have a high profile, he has a difficult temper and naturally dislikes humans.
Su Xiaoyao laughed and said, "I don't want friendship between people with similar interests."
Jiang Yun reacted faster than Xiao Tingyuan, whose mind was still reeling from being shocked so many times in a day.
He said, "Since the Dao Ancestor has intervened in the affairs of the cultivation world, the Merfolk are also getting restless."
Su Xiaoyao did not deny it: "Who wouldn't want to ride this wave? The Merfolk have stayed in the deep sea for tens of millions of years, and for two thousand years they have been stuck at the bottleneck with no one ascending. Not long ago, someone actually broke through their defenses and obtained demonic energy. Obviously, the deterrent power of the most powerful creature in the deep sea is not as strong as before, and they are not willing to fall behind in the evolutionary process."
Xiao Tingyuan slapped his forehead: "Look at me, I'm so stupid from the exam, I can't wrap my head around it."
He completely forgot about the stakeholder factor.
Su Xiaoyao looked at him affectionately: "It's okay, it's not like we just found out you're not smart. We don't mind."
"Hey, hey, hey, give me some face." Xiao Tingyuan retorted.
Su Xiaoyao smiled slightly: "Okay, let's change the subject. How did the exam go?"
Xiao Tingyuan immediately deflated: "I didn't review properly, the questions didn't match my predictions, I didn't know half of them, I just guessed. I'm sure I'll fail this time."
The familiar words made Su Xiaoyao choke. She looked over suspiciously, but after seeing the other person's clear eyes, she was sure that her friend wasn't being sarcastic. So she patted his shoulder to comfort him: "Actually, me too."
After she finished speaking, she turned to Jiang Yun: "Xiao Jiang, where are you?"
Jiang Yun, holding his sword, said calmly, "The same."
Xiao Tingyuan felt somewhat relieved.
It turns out he wasn't the only one who found the questions difficult.
However, this sense of relief only lasted for three days before crumbling.
Three days later, Xiao Tingyuan, who was working in the kitchen and wished he had eight hands, glanced at the communication stone after hearing the notification sound, and then froze on the spot.
He stared at the newly released exam results rankings, rubbing his eyes to confirm them three times over, not even bothering to check if chili pepper got into his eyes.
He broke down, tears streaming down his face, and roared:
"This is what you mean by 'just like me'?!"
Another person also broke down.
Helian Yi stepped into Bai Niang Qian Wei Lou, which was holding a grand opening promotion.
It only took him three short days to go from being full of confidence to questioning his life.
He drifted like a ghost to Su Xiaoyao, who was so busy she hadn't even had time to check her grades. He bent down and whispered in her ear, his voice ethereal and otherworldly:
"As expected of you, your intelligence is beyond the reach of ordinary people. I easily defeated a group of successors that all the major and minor sects had devoted their efforts to cultivating, while you were responsible for crushing me, right?"
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