Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mad Old Eight

Fu Lan was sweating profusely, anxious. He wanted to pry her fingers off but feared hurting her withered, bony hands; he wanted to step back but feared pulling her over. Low-voiced, desperate explanations were useless.

The old woman seemed dazed, unable to process his words, her own speech muddled and incoherent.

The commotion grew, and just as it threatened to draw the neighbors' attention, a hand suddenly grabbed Fu Lan by the collar from the side.

"Let the old lady go!"

"She's the one pulling on me!"

Fu Lan looked at the person who had arrived and gave up the argument.

Shi Ningyu stretched out her arm, holding him by the collar and glaring fiercely. She whispered something to the old woman to persuade her to let go, then shoved Fu Lan violently against the wall.

"You guys are like a persistent plague. Shameless, aren't you? Starting to pick locks and steal now? There’s nothing valuable here, get lost! Or I’m calling the police!"

Fu Lan brushed the dust off his shoulder, his angry expression carrying a hint of genuine feeling. He glared back at Shi Ningyu, clutched his briefcase, and walked away quickly.

A few minutes later, Shi Ningyu caught up with him, stood on tiptoe, and patted his shoulder. "That didn't actually hurt, did it? You're so weak."

Calm restored, Fu Lan shook his head. "No, I just don't like getting my clothes dirty."

"Oh? Is Teacher Fu a germaphobe?"

"It’s not that serious." Fu Lan looked behind him and lowered his voice to Shi Ningyu. "Good thing you showed up in time. I don't know if that old lady will believe it. If she remembers my face and tells the police..."

"It’s fine. She’s just a busybody; she’s helped me drive away loan sharks before. She won't call the police over this."

"Ugh, my luck is terrible. Only my second time acting alone and something goes wrong."

"Better than getting caught when there are two of us."

Fu Lan nodded; that would indeed be much worse. "Are you really incapable of feeling annoyed?" he asked Shi Ningyu.

She shrugged. "You saw it last time."

Fu Lan sighed. It would have been ideal for her to do the feeding, but he hadn't expected her to be unable to satisfy the Sphere Beast on her own.

"I feel like you’re actually quite irritable," Fu Lan gestured. "Like last time, and the time before that... whenever I said anything on the phone, you were incredibly annoyed."

"Huh? Was I? I don't remember," Shi Ningyu said, feigning innocence.

Fu Lan felt helpless. If she, like him, disliked using her genuine emotions for feeding but also couldn't manage her emotions separately, there was nothing to be done.

"Anyway, I can't do it. It has to be up to Teacher Fu," Shi Ningyu said with a giggle.

Fu Lan was immune to her flattery. "If I get caught one more time, the old lady really will call the police."

"She won't. She’s a bit senile; if you change your clothes next time, she probably won't recognize you. Besides, how could we run into her every time? She doesn't usually go out at this hour; tonight was just an accident." Shi Ningyu crossed her arms, thinking for a moment. "Still, we should find a way. You can't keep getting spooked like this."

Fu Lan looked dissatisfied. "Do I look that timid to you?"

"No, I mean..." Shi Ningyu stopped herself, waving a hand. "Anyway, it’s a security risk. We need to consider changing the time or the way we enter and exit. The location is the hard part; this place is actually quite ideal."

That was true. Apart from the old woman next door who collected recyclables, Fu Lan hadn't encountered anyone else near the bicycle shed.

Shi Ningyu was already preparing a second-hand Wuling Hongguang. Once they raised enough Sphere Beasts, they could transport them to a suitable location for portable refining using cat carriers, then transfer the finished product to the apartment for temporary storage.

Everything was being done within the city, avoiding the strictly monitored checkpoints, and they wouldn't attract suspicion by constantly driving out of town.

The two continued walking, moving from the narrow lanes of the old city onto a brightly lit main road, passing a street filled with auto repair shops.

"Back when I started, I had to develop regular customers one by one, struggling to chat with idiots who couldn't even speak clearly. To hide from the cops, I’d have to split the goods into small packages at the crack of dawn and hide them in places like downspouts for them to pick up. Sometimes I even had to collect money from trash cans." Shi Ningyu sounded like a big boss reminiscing about the hardships of entrepreneurship. "I thought things would get easier once the business grew, but who knew it wouldn't be any easier now?"

She looked at Fu Lan with feigned world-weariness. "You’re lucky, Teacher. You found me at this stage and skipped the startup phase. If you had to do those chores, you definitely wouldn't have managed."

"That's for sure."

"Speaking of which, how long do you plan to work for Old Tian? You mentioned wanting to get out early, right?"

"I did. I talked a big game to secure the partnership, so I need to find a way to let him know my ceiling isn't as high as he thinks, so he doesn't keep investing. But the money is good and fast here, so it would be a shame to end it too soon. If everything runs smoothly, finishing in about a year would be best."

Shi Ningyu silently calculated; the money he could save in a year would far exceed the cost of heart transplant surgery. Did he have other plans? Was he going to...

She wanted to press him, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. She was the one who had told Fu Lan not to pry, and now she would be breaking the agreement. She shook her head inwardly and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

"It wasn't all just talk. You’re already capable of making crystal-grade Magic Ember. I bet if Old Tian knew you had that skill, he'd immediately forget his 'white glove' nonsense and pay whatever it took to recruit you. He says that stuff is just for show, but if he really wants to rule the market, it has to be Magic Ember!" Shi Ningyu looked away from the sky and stared intently at Fu Lan. "So when will you teach me, Teacher Fu?"

Fu Lan brushed her off. "I'll teach you, but it's too early. If you learn too soon, what will we do if no one is left to make the 'Snow'?"

Shi Ningyu puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish, then quickly deflated, shaking her head as her twin tails swayed.

Fu Lan looked at her pigtails and suddenly wondered if this girl could be used to hypnotize the Sphere Beasts. He was amused by the thought.

"What are you laughing at?" Shi Ningyu looked at him, confused. She was still cursing herself for being unable to stop thinking about the formula at a time like this, and yet the guy in front of her was laughing...

"Nothing, I just..." Before Fu Lan could concoct an excuse, a whistle interrupted him.

"Yo, isn't this the famous Snow White?"

A group of young men abandoned the modified scooters they were working on in the shop and walked toward them.

They were dressed like typical delinquents, and the leader was a walking stereotype: a bowl cut, slip-on shoes, a suit jacket draped over his shoulders, swaying his legs with an arrogant swagger as if he were about to start shouting.

Fu Lan suddenly knew who this was, and the way Shi Ningyu gritted her teeth confirmed his suspicion.

"Crazy Lao Ba," she hissed the name.

The man known as Crazy Lao Ba, the city's top cook, shoved his hands into his pockets and began to look Fu Lan up and down with a lazy, insolent gaze.

After a moment, he leaned over toward Shi Ningyu and asked with a grin, "Is this your dad?"

"Get lost! He's your dad!"

Just as Fu Lan was about to clarify that he had no interest in being anyone's father, Crazy Lao Ba straightened up and said with disdain, "I know who you are. Old Tian's new cook, right? What was it again? F... Fu... Teacher Fu!"

His exaggerated pronunciation sprayed saliva everywhere, and Fu Lan couldn't help but take a step back.

Shi Ningyu also dodged, asking with disgust, "What do you want?"

"Just saying hello. Teacher Fu, where did you work before? Never heard of you. Want to be friends?"

"Don't listen to him." Shi Ningyu pulled on Fu Lan's sleeve, urging him to leave, but saw Lao Ba's lackeys surrounding them.

"Fuck! You want to fight?" She narrowed her eyes, her pupils glowing with blue light.

Lao Ba pressed his hands down in a gesture of peace. "Hey, hey, relax, we're on the street."

Shi Ningyu snorted. "Then move."

Lao Ba signaled his lackeys to back off, looking at her provocatively. "So this is the partner you found? He can help you make purer Snow? Doesn't look like it to me. Just like that coward Old Tian—your taste in people is remarkably consistent. Tell me, what exactly are you thinking? My boss personally invited you, even I’m willing to let bygones be bygones and let you join, but you go running to Old Tian instead. What's the point?"

"For the sake of being clean," Shi Ningyu retorted. "I feel sick and want to vomit when I see shit."

Lao Ba wasn't angry, still wearing that cynical, lopsided grin. "Heh, shit is still weighing on you right now."

"Then it's only logical to wash it away with water," Fu Lan said nonchalantly.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to chime in, and even less expecting him to be holding a high-pressure water gun from the repair shop.

*Sssss—*

Fu Lan pressed the trigger, and the youths immediately fell into chaos.

"Fuck!"

"Fuck! My fuck!"

"Goddammit, he’s actually spraying! Stop... stop it now!"