Chapter 14

The stage is too small—no matter how hard the "actors" perform, there aren't many spectators.

Later.

Lin Qi, with the top score of his cohort—by a wide margin over second place—boarded the space station as he had wished.

And only then did his golden finger truly begin to work.

Before boarding the space station, he might have needed months to scrape together a single ten-pull on a standard banner.

After getting up there, even on "limited banners," he could pull every now and then.

After that, things got much easier.

As the techniques he mastered grew more numerous and the effects of the curiosities he crafted grew more outrageous, even the imperious station master Herta couldn't help clicking her tongue in wonder—and even stepped down to ask Lin Qi about the principles behind them.

The authority Herta gave Lin Qi grew higher and higher as well.

She even gave him one of her puppets, under the pretext of a "technology exchange."

To this day, that puppet—exquisitely crafted down to the finest details—still lies quietly in Lin Qi's dimensional pocket.

It's just that after finishing his research, he couldn't bring it out to use.

Because the moment he took it out, Herta would immediately notice, and what would follow would be unpredictable. She might come knocking, or something else entirely unforeseen might happen.

It's not that he fears Herta—Lin Qi just hates trouble.

Given Herta's temperament, once she runs into something that interests her, her thick skin could rival the Wisdom Star Wall forged by the Preservation Stellaron.

Why did Lin Qi leave the space station?

Entirely because Herta was too annoying!

Her questions came one after another—simply more than "One Hundred Thousand Whys."

Lin Qi could neither brush her off nor answer only her questions and stop his own research.

So he had no choice but to steer clear.

Otherwise, not to mention acting station master—even the real station master, Lin Qi could have taken the post.

Fortunately, by the time he left the space station, Lin Qi was already somewhat famous, so he had no shortage of places to go.

His first stop was the First Truth University.

With the help of various curiosities, in less than a year he had finished learning everything that could aid his research—and even began teaching, eventually becoming a professor.

Afterwards, with First Truth University's recommendation, Lin Qi joined the Boshixue Society.

However, he didn't join any particular school of thought—instead, whichever one caught his interest, he'd go hang around it for a while.

In less than another year, the knowledge within the Society that interested him had also been learned to near-completion.

The curiosities he had publicly released had also grown to several dozen.

At this point, his influence already surpassed that of the vast majority of scholars—yet within the Boshixue Society, there were simply too few people who could provide him with plot points, and the standard banner hadn't yielded the technology he wanted in ages.

So Lin Qi moved on to another place.

At the company's invitation, he went to the Technology R&D Department as a technical consultant, starting at rank P42.

Until he left the company and headed for the Xianzhou Luo Fu.

Lin Qi's rank had already reached P45.

Speaking of which, if not for the fact that he'd always signed short-term contracts with the company, he'd be at least P46 by now—the same level as Lady Topaz.

But Lin Qi felt no regret.

So what if he rose to P46, P47, or even P48 within the company? At best, a Preservation Order.

Could he possibly be promoted to Chairman?

Lin Qi has his own pursuits.

After a bowl of red-oil chopped tripe settled his craving, Lin Qi couldn't help glancing at Xueyi standing in a daze not far off, feeling as though he'd missed doing something, but unable to recall it for the moment.

Looking again at Xueyi's expressionless face, she looked just like a bodyguard.

But he didn't need one.

"Miss Xueyi, don't you get bored standing there like that?" Lin Qi couldn't help asking.

The puppet girl answered quickly.

"It's fine."

"Then have you adjusted? I feel like you haven't been exposed to much of the bustle of Gold Man Alley? You seem a bit uneasy?"

"Indeed."

Xueyi thought seriously for a moment, then said, "When I rested in the netherworld, I lay within a coffin. By my ear there were not even the cries of street vendors, let alone the breathing of the living."

"Then you probably want to lie down in a coffin."

Lin Qi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Just as he was about to say more, his phone buzzed.

The phone, equipped with ultra-long-range remote-sensing communication technology, could bridge countless light-years for instant conversation—undeniably black-tech.

Lin Qi glanced at the chat window—someone had sent him a window shake.

It was a familiar avatar.

Short white hair, with a striking streak of red highlights, a bright and easygoing smile, and a radiant face impossible to look away from.

【Lin Qi's Curiosities: Yelena, you've finished all your missions?】

【Yelena: Mm-hmm~】

【Lin Qi's Curiosities: Uh… did you pass the rank promotion assessment?】

【Yelena: Mm-hmm~】

【Lin Qi's Curiosities: ……】

【Lin Qi's Curiosities: Chirp? Give the phone back to Yelena right now.】

【Ye Linna: (#`Д′)?】

【Ye Linna: Hmph! You unromantic fellow! Now address me as Topaz!】

【System Message: Ye Linna has changed her ID to "Topaz".】

……

Begging for flowers, begging for evaluations.

15. Topaz: What "rumored boyfriend"? Never heard of him.

Topaz?

A newly promoted member of the Ten Stones of the Heart?

During Lin Qi's time at the company, besides delving into technology, he also studied the company's structure.

The Ten Stones of the Heart are core subordinates of the Director of the Strategic Investment Department—Diamond.

Excluding Diamond, the highest rank can reach P46.

Normally speaking, the minimum is P45.

More crucially, each member of the Ten Stones of the Heart, empowered by their Keystone, possesses a portion of the power of an Emanator.

Even on the scale of the entire universe, they are absolutely considered great figures.

Lin Qi has never been a member of the Ten Stones of the Heart, but his rank did reach P45; precisely because of this, he knows very well how difficult that is.

It must be known that his achievements are comparable to those of a "Genius".

And Topaz is a few years younger than him.

She is not yet twenty.

Perhaps it is related to the long-term contract Topaz signed with the company; regarded as a key talent for cultivation, she was promoted faster.

But there is no doubt that her abilities are absolutely first-rate.

Of course.

This also has some relation to Lin Qi.

Many of Lin Qi's mass-produced Curios were sent out into the galaxy only after passing through her hands.

Otherwise, the time it took for her to become "Topaz" would have been a bit later.

【System Message: Topaz has sent you a window-shake message.】

【Topaz: Why aren't you replying to me? Are you shocked by the speed of my rank promotion?】

【Lin's Curios: A little bit.】

【Lin's Curios: You're already P45 now; in a few years, won't you become a department director? Who knows, the next time we meet, you might already be a member of the Board of Directors!】

【Lin's Curios: If you get rich, don't forget me; when that time comes, don't forget to help me up!】