Chapter 239: Because I'm Also Uneducated

After all, she was just a shareholder collecting dividends from the mine; she didn't participate in its business operations.

She just hadn't expected Thorium to be used for this. She could only conclude that the Supreme Council was truly willing to spare no expense to earn the recognition of all the Transmigrators.

"Big boss Lan, let me take a look,"

Beside her, Gu Xiaobei, who had followed Lan Qingyou via teleportation to the High Tower Shelter, watched with eager eyes.

"Don't you have your own?" Lan Qingyou asked.

"My Card is completely full. If I take them out, I'll have to carry them around, and that's just too much of a hassle," she complained.

"Didn't you give those steel plates from your Card to Chu Yuan?"

"I did, but I kept a little bit to take back and forge into a few pots."

...

Everyone had their own little needs, after all.

With that, Lan Qingyou handed the currency over to Gu Xiaobei.

She wasn't exactly lacking in money anyway. As an Alchemist, she had no real interest in wealth and rarely ever touched physical coin.

Compared to something as vulgar as gold coins, Lan Qingyou was far more interested in taking stock of the loot she had acquired from this latest dungeon.

She had scooped up the rewards that others had earned, and even the ones they had missed out on.

It was safe to say that her haul from this expedition was second only to the Pope, who had managed to secure a World Item.

None of the other participants had any objections to this, though. After all, Lan Qingyou had essentially faced down the giant eyeball at the end all by herself. They hadn't contributed much to that final battle, so it was only natural that she took the lion's share of the rewards.

She had obtained a Stone of Sun Glory capable of serving as the core of a magic array, composite steel plates perfect for crafting an alchemy base, over a hundred enchanted magic items with stat bonuses, and more than six thousand Soul Crystals. On top of all that, she had secured a full five drops of Cthuya's tears, along with the Eye of Cthuya, which would provide a steady supply of more tears in the future.

She had struck the jackpot. An absolute, mind-numbing jackpot.

When it came time to divide the spoils, Lan Qingyou had split the original ten drops of Cthuya's tears in a five-to-three-to-two ratio.

She took five drops. The Sun, who had pushed back the seawater, received three, and the Wheel of Fortune, who had provided the syringe, was given the remaining two.

It had to be said, Lan Qingyou's merit-based distribution system—where those who contributed more received more—was universally well-received, and everyone agreed it would be an excellent model for future operations.

"Alright, you've stared at it long enough. Let's get down to business, otherwise it's going to be pitch black out,"

Lan Qingyou said, giving Gu Xiaobei a gentle shove as she glanced at the setting sun and the crimson-stained sky outside.

"Oh, right, good point," the elf replied.

Gu Xiaobei shivered at the mere mention of nightfall. The nights on the Kalim Continent were absolutely no joke, so it was best to finish their tasks while there was still light.

Promptly, Gu Xiaobei followed Lan Qingyou outside and ran a full lap around the area.

Yes, she quite literally ran the entire perimeter of the magic array on her own two feet.

Even with Lan Qingyou hovering right above her on a Magic Broom, and despite the witch's repeated invitations to hop on and fly together, Gu Xiaobei stubbornly ignored the offers.

Naturally, she had her reasons.

As an Evolver and a Tree Elf, Gu Xiaobei wasn't the least bit winded. She hadn't even broken a sweat after the long run, and she was relaxed enough to offer critiques on Lan Qingyou's magic array and the various structures within it.

Lan Qingyou, however, couldn't care less about her commentary.

Instead, she turned her attention to the saplings of the War Treants.

Although they had been in the ground for quite some time now, the young trees had barely grown.

But that changed today. Bolstered by the natural talents of a Tree Elf like Gu Xiaobei, the War Treants shot up at a startling pace.

Saplings that had been no thicker than an arm rapidly expanded until their trunks were as wide as large serving bowls.

While they were still a far cry from the massive War Treants with meter-wide trunks that she had encountered before, Lan Qingyou was thoroughly satisfied with the results.

At least Gu Xiaobei's visit hadn't been a waste of time.

As the sun finally dipped below the horizon and night fell, the atmosphere inside the Shelter instantly transformed.

With the sun's natural illumination gone, a myriad of different lights flared to life within the magic array.

The intricate runes of the formation pulsed with a faint, ghostly blue glow that drifted through the air like fireflies. Mingled with the luminescence of the glowing mushroom spores Lan Qingyou had scattered earlier and the warm, steady beams of the Magic Carriage Lanterns strung up around the perimeter, the visual effect was stunning.

These assorted light sources bathed the interior of the magic array in a mesmerizing, dreamlike aura. The sight was so enchanting that Gu Xiaobei, who had ducked inside the Shelter the moment darkness fell, immediately sprinted back out.

"Beautiful... It's just too beautiful! It's exactly like a scene straight out of a fairy tale!"

Gu Xiaobei cheered, throwing her arms wide as she twirled and danced among the floating specks of light.

She had seen pictures of this garden in the group chat before.

But now that she was actually experiencing it in person, she realized those photos didn't do it a lick of justice.

"It's truly tragic to be so uneducated. Couldn't you think of a more poetic way to describe it?"

Lan Qingyou was naturally thrilled to hear someone praise the garden she had painstakingly designed. The smug smile tugging at the corners of her mouth was harder to suppress than the recoil of an assault rifle, but she still couldn't resist throwing out a teasing jab.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'm completely uncultured. Why don't you grace us with a few eloquent lines then, Boss Lan?"

Completely unfazed by the teasing, Gu Xiaobei leaped gracefully from one side of the yard to the other, twirling on her tiptoes like a ballerina.

"You want me to describe it?"

"Yep."

"Hmm... It's exactly like a scene straight out of a fairy tale."

Splash!

The sheer audacity of that stolen line caused the dancing Gu Xiaobei to lose her footing. She stumbled, failing to catch her balance, and tumbled straight into the drainage ditch.

Wireball and Little Spoon, who had been sprinting wildly around the yard, froze in their tracks, startled by the sudden commotion.

"Hey! Why are you stealing my lines?!"

Before she even managed to pull herself out of the water, Gu Xiaobei braced her hands against the edge of the ditch and glared up at Lan Qingyou.

"Because I'm also uneducated."

Lan Qingyou delivered the admission with absolute, unshakeable confidence.

In terms of age, Lan Qingyou was two or three years older than her friend. But if it came down to actual academic credentials, the eighteen-year-old Gu Xiaobei probably had a much stronger background than Lan Qingyou, who was merely a junior high school dropout.

"Forget it, forget it. Let's just eat. Dinner first," the elf muttered, climbing out. "Where's the kitchen in this place?"

When dealing with someone utterly shameless, the best strategy was simply not to argue, otherwise the bickering would never end.

Realizing she hadn't eaten a bite since that afternoon, Gu Xiaobei decided to cook a proper meal in this breathtaking, magical space.

It felt like she was unlocking a brand new cooking location.

"What kitchen? Do I look like the kind of person who owns a kitchen?"

Hearing the very word, Lan Qingyou scoffed with a derisive sneer.

"No, I suppose you don't."

Shaking her head, Gu Xiaobei pulled an entire integrated kitchen unit from her Card, setting it down before tossing an ever-burning torch into the stove.

"What do you want to eat tonight?"

"I'll eat whatever you make."

"Let's keep it simple, then. Barbecue."

"Works for me."

With Lan Qingyou's approval, Gu Xiaobei immediately sprang into action. She pulled out a massive basket of fish, meat, and vegetables, and began prepping the grill.

Drip... Sizzle!

Rich juices dripped onto the glowing red coals, filling the air with the mouthwatering aroma of cumin, chili powder, and chopped scallions.

Wireball and Little Spoon, who had been running around like maniacs moments before, were now sitting politely at the table Lan Qingyou had set up.

Lan Qingyou was already seated at the head of the table as well, chopsticks resting eagerly in her hands.

The table they were using was a Magic Desk. It wasn't her original, functioning one, but rather a broken, powerless unit she had scavenged from the ruins of a destroyed Shelter.