Chapter 29: Making Money Together is the True Way
"Hm? What did you come up with this time?"
Guang Ling instantly put down his wine cup and moved beside Han Li in a flash, his expression tense and eager.
After the whole Xiu'er incident, he had been specifically warned by Qian Daoliu to keep an eye on this kid to make sure he focused on cultivation instead of stirring up more strange and unpredictable situations. Even if there wasn't any danger, wasting precious training time was unacceptable.
Of course, Guang Ling hadn't mentioned this to Han Li. If he had, Han Li would have definitely ridiculed Qian Daoliu for his double standards. After all, wasn't allowing Qian Renxue to infiltrate enemy territory also a ridiculous waste of time?
Seeing the attention of both powerhouses fixed on him, Han Li grinned, handed them the sheet of paper, and casually found a seat, waiting for them to finish reading.
However, instead of questions, what he got were two very strange looks aimed directly at him.
Huh?
Han Li frowned. Was there a mistake in the data? Impossible he had double checked everything.
Then, he heard Guang Ling sigh in regret.
"Han Li, I know you're quite mature for your age, but… you're still too young. Hm~ o(￣▽￣)o This is normal. This topic is far too deep for you to grasp. I'll take good care of this document for you, and when the time comes, I'll hand it over to Elder Jin Crocodile. He could really use it."
"Hm, once you grow a couple more years older, you'll understand. But don't worry you're not at that stage yet." Guang Ling patted his shoulder in mock reassurance before casually tucking the document into his storage space.
Han Li's face instantly turned black.
Grinding his teeth, he glared at the seemingly young but actually very old man in front of him.
"Thank you so much for your concern, dear Teacher. You truly are the best."
"No need to thank me. It was my oversight. I should have arranged for someone to educate you on this sooner. You should head back first I'll make sure to get this sorted out for you soon." Guang Ling waved him off cheerfully.
Han Li's jaw clenched.
"…No need. Also, give me back the paper. I'll talk to Shibo instead. You go find somewhere nice and cool to sit."
Seeing how genuinely frustrated Han Li was, Guang Ling finally realized that maybe he had misread the situation. He quickly retrieved the paper from his storage and skipped straight to the last section.
At first, his expression was casual. But then
His mind went blank.
This this hypothesis if true… it would completely shake the foundation of the spirit master world.
Dazed, he handed the document to Qing Luan, who immediately skimmed the last section.
A rare flicker of shock crossed Qing Luan's usually calm face. He stood up abruptly, looking between Han Li and the document, his mouth opening and closing as if unsure what to say.
It was a long time before the two Title Douluo finally sat back down, but neither of them touched their wine cups. Instead, they exchanged complicated glances, silently urging the other to speak.
In the end, Guang Ling lost the battle.
"…Han Li, is this hypothesis real?"
He leaned forward, speaking softly as if afraid of startling his disciple.
"It's fake. Just some stamina boosters." Han Li's voice was deadpan.
"So, in other words… it's real." Guang Ling straightened up and muttered to himself, "This is huge. We have to notify the Grand Worshipper immediately this information can't be allowed to spread recklessly."
"Teacher, have you forgotten that this is my discovery?" Han Li's voice carried an unmistakable edge.
Guang Ling looked momentarily embarrassed.
"Haha, of course not! I was just thinking out loud. Naturally, how to handle this is up to you." He forced a laugh, trying to cover up his earlier oversight.
"…So, Han Li, what do you want to do?" Qing Luan asked calmly.
Han Li's expression softened slightly.
See? This is why Shibo is more reliable.
Sitting up straight, Han Li spoke with conviction.
"Shibo, this is just my hypothesis for now. That being said, I am at least ninety percent certain it's correct. Of course, it must be reported eventually. But before that, we need to conduct testing. More importantly, I need to make some preparations. I assure you, I won't do anything that would harm Spirit Hall's interests."
Qing Luan thought for a moment before nodding.
"So, you plan to confirm its effects first and collect a batch of whale glue before submitting the findings?"
Han Li nodded in confirmation.
Guang Ling frowned.
"But why do you need to stockpile so much? Even if it works, you and Xiu'er don't need that much."
Han Li shot his teacher an exasperated look.
"Teacher, I need money. A lot of money. I enjoy research, but research costs money. I'm fine for now, but I can't always rely on you for funds, can I? I have to plan ahead."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"Once the findings are confirmed, I will sell most of my stockpile to Spirit Hall just with a small handling fee, of course. You can't seriously expect me to give away such valuable information for free, right?
And let's say Spirit Hall does reward me afterward what do you think I'd actually receive? I don't care about fame. Spirit bones are limited in number, and high quality ones are even rarer. In the end, I'd probably just be handed a bunch of gold spirit coins.
So, if I'm going to end up with money either way, why shouldn't I just earn it myself?"
By the time Han Li finished speaking, both Guang Ling and Qing Luan were nodding.
Neither of them had ever needed money, nor had they cared about it. But now that they thought about it, Han Li's reasoning did make sense.
"…So, this is why you came to us?" Guang Ling finally caught on.
"Mm. And also to help you two make some money. Your affiliated families aren't that wealthy, are they? If we all make money together, everyone benefits.
Besides, I'm still young I'll need their channels to help collect the whale glue in the first place." Han Li spoke smoothly, laying out his plan.
Guang Ling and Qing Luan exchanged glances.
They were tempted.
Over the years, especially since Bibi Dong's rise to power, their follower families had been struggling. This was a golden opportunity.
Why shouldn't they take advantage of it?
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