Chapter 4: Krypton Gold Dog Eyes

"Zhengyi." Pei Shu finally said, with a hint of reproach.

Luo Qi sighed inwardly; finally, someone could keep Du Zhengyi in check. How had he been spoiled to this extent? He really couldn't imagine that Du Zhengyi was a student of Pei Shu, and even less could he imagine that a Great Mage like Pei Shu could teach a youth like Du Zhengyi, who looked unreliable at first glance.

"Let's put it this way," Luo Qi said, drawing out his words. He had already overcome the shock of meeting a Legendary Archmage for the first time and had returned to normal. "Tell me the truth: do I have some terminal illness, which is why I can see abnormal things?"

Du Zhengyi looked at his teacher, and the two exchanged a glance.

Luo Qi was as anxious as a monkey. "Can you two communicate via thought?"

"Of course not," Du Zhengyi said. "My compatibility with Teacher isn't that high, and I haven't reached that level of mind-power yet."

Damn. Luo Qi calmed his emotions. "Then what exactly do you mean?"

"We were thinking," Du Zhengyi smiled slightly, subtly infuriating, "that perhaps your head is shaped a bit abnormally."

Luo Qi flared up instantly. "I was just waiting for you to mock me. My head is different from yours, so I can't use Teleportation, I can't move objects with my mind, and I burn my hands even when I try to conjure a Fireball. I've decided I don't want the credits; I'm going back to review for my make-up exams. I don't have time to talk nonsense with you in this dump of a shop."

Du Zhengyi's expression changed, and he hurriedly raised both hands in a gesture asking him not to lose his temper. He was halfway through the motion of standing up, looking hesitantly at Du Zhengyi, who seemed about to apologize, but that infuriating face couldn't help but smile again. "Are you really that old and still burn your hands when conjuring a Fireball?"

Damn it! Luo Qi stood up, grabbed his schoolbag, and left without looking back.

He knew he wouldn't be that lucky. Having some embarrassing high L-Value to guarantee him a chance to participate in social research—it was probably his mother seeing that he was about to fail to graduate, begging Liu Li through his aunt to find him a way out. And what was this about an L-Value? Not only did it provoke that self-righteous bastard to mock him, but it also made him lose face in front of a titan of mages like Pei Shu. Damn it, fuck, goddamn it, you idiot!

He stormed downstairs, walked out of the unit door, and kicked a Heineken beer can away. The can flew into the territory of a feral cat gang; a fat tabby cat jumped up and let out a sharp "meow" at him, striking a majestic pose as if to say, "come at me if you dare." He annoyed, bypassed the feral cat, and walked toward the gate of the residential complex.

"Luo Qi!" someone called out to him.

He knew who it was. He turned back and sure enough saw Du Zhengyi running out, carrying his shoulder bag, still wearing a smile, looking completely unconcerned.

"Forget the make-up exam," he said. "Let's go, we're leaving tonight."

What?

Luo Qi stopped in his tracks, looking at him in surprise.

Du Zhengyi was already walking toward the car parked on the side of the road.

"What?" Luo Qi shouted. "You're driving?"

"Why can't I drive?" Du Zhengyi threw his bag into the backseat of a Ford Mustang. "Stop talking nonsense, get in. Once you're in, I'll explain the problem with you."

Luo Qi hesitated, but he knew he couldn't refuse. Du Zhengyi was already sitting in the car, looking up at him as if a siren were singing inside his vehicle. He sighed and got in.

Luo Qi stepped into this two-door car with its cool paint job and stylish design. The human side of his personality distracted him from his troubles; he had never sat in such a nice car. As the son of a mage, he naturally used the Pendragon Orbital Hub when going out—a facility that provided long-distance public Teleportation services. It was convenient, easy, and safe, just not very fun. For so many years, he had only been able to enjoy human buses, subways, and taxis. The human friends he made at gaming cafes and the Library were all poor youths just like him; none of them could possibly have such a stylish ride.

"Is this your car?" Luo Qi touched things here and there in the car excitedly. "Did you buy it?"

Du Zhengyi glanced at him and began to reverse out of the parking space. "When I was in the Fourth Grade, my health wasn't very good for a while, and I wasn't suited for Subspace travel, not even the Pendragon Orbital Hub. So I just bought this used car."

Luo Qi knew that must have been the time Du Zhengyi was hospitalized in his parents' hospital. "This car must cost several million RMB, right? Did you rob humans? Impossible, Pei Shu would kill you. Did you sell yourself to humans?"

Du Zhengyi floored the accelerator, and Luo Qi was pressed against the back of his seat.

"You were born a boy, your mother saved a lot of worry," Du Zhengyi said amidst the roar of the modified Mustang. "No bad men driving 300,000-yuan cars pretending to be luxury cars to fish for you. Is this the reason for your high L-Value?"

"What do you mean?" Luo Qi said angrily.

Du Zhengyi said, "Do you think I can afford a car worth several million?"

Luo Qi thought for a moment, took his phone out of his pocket to search, and opened his mouth wide at the price range of 350,000 to 1,000,000. "Why did you buy such a car that doesn't match its appearance?"

"Because I am a person who doesn't match my appearance," Du Zhengyi retorted.

Luo Qi fell silent. After a while, he couldn't help himself. "You shouldn't cut lanes like that. You shouldn't run red lights either. Wait, I remember now, you definitely don't have a driver's license."

"You're not wearing a seatbelt either," Du Zhengyi retorted.

"I believe that as a mage, your reaction speed is beyond what humans can match," Luo Qi said.

"True, if a car accident really happened, my quick reaction ability would ensure I could Teleport to safety."

"Wouldn't you save me?" Luo Qi said dryly.

"Have you heard of a conditioned reflex? Teleportation has already become an instinct for me to avoid harm. By the time I react that I should save you, I'll already be standing under a streetlamp twenty meters away, watching you struggle in the ruins of the car accident."

Luo Qi pulled the seatbelt over and strapped himself in, feeling annoyed.

They got onto an elevated highway. Luo Qi looked at the giant advertisements on the buildings outside the window and suddenly knew where they were going. Sure enough, they soon exited the bridge and turned into a multi-story parking garage, which was both a parking lot and the local hub for the Pendragon Orbital Hub company. The Pendragon Orbital Hub company had always done business on both sides; human banknotes were very useful, and there were simply too many things and services they could buy. There were many companies like Pendragon in the Mage World; some mages, such as Liu Xing's cousin, simply worked in the human world, earning human money directly without being bound by the rules of the Mage World. Currency exchange was also simple, because the Mage World used credit points as a precious medium of exchange, not physical currency.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and the parking garage was adjacent to a bustling commercial district. Many humans were also driving into the garage, causing a traffic jam at the entrance. They had no choice but to wait in line at the entrance, waiting to enter slowly.

Outside the window was the street at dusk; the streetlights were beginning to turn on, and the sky in the distance was a deep shade of blue. Soothing music flowed from the radio inside the car. With nothing to do, they finally returned to the serious topic from the beginning.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Luo Qi asked Du Zhengyi.

"I'm not entirely sure either," Du Zhengyi said, his attitude finally being honest. He paused for a moment, as if thinking about how to say this, and incidentally drove the car forward another space. "The teacher I saw today was a balding middle-aged man, wearing a brown casual suit made of thick wool fabric, with a pair of leather patches on the elbows. He was wearing black full-rimmed nearsighted glasses, and of course, there was no tattoo on his face."

Luo Qi asked hesitantly, "Then which one is the disguise?"

"I've been following him for many years, so I know his true appearance is that of an old man who doesn't like to cut his hair, and he has a tattoo on his face."

Even though Luo Qi had already guessed it, he was still shocked when he heard Du Zhengyi admit it himself, sitting blankly in the passenger seat. He might have been a little bit excited that Du Zhengyi's Blindfold Magic had been seen through by him, finally winning half a move against Du Zhengyi. But most of him still couldn't believe it, subconsciously feeling that something must be wrong; perhaps it was because he had eaten something abnormal today that made his eyes particularly sharp. Maybe it was the mint candy Liu Xing gave him; he might be allergic to mint.

"Mages, more or less, like to change their appearance, especially old women who are getting on in years and people with secrets," Du Zhengyi said. He finally drove the car into the parking garage and drove along a sign for an employee passage.

The Pendragon Orbital Hub was located in the area marked as the employee parking lot. Mages intending to adventure in human society could drive their cars inside and take their cars with them during Space Travel. Under normal circumstances, mages usually didn't need to come here specifically; most mage families would have a porch as a terminal connected to the Pendragon Orbital Hub. The entrance to Luo Qi's home was in their basement, looking like an elevator that could be activated by voice. Luo Qi often linked to this place from the entrance at home; there was a subway station right across from this hub. After arriving here, Luo Qi would take the subway to meet his human friends and fool around to pass the time.

"The way to change appearance is usually done through Mental Induction, making the other person see the appearance one wants them to see through consciousness. This doesn't necessarily require high-level spiritual power; diligent practice can make it effective, and there are many clever methods that can help complete the induction," Du Zhengyi said. "I once saw a mage with schizophrenia; one moment he was a man, the next a woman, one moment he had slanted eyes, the next he had puffy eyes, and from time to time, a split mouth and a harelip would switch back and forth."

Luo Qi couldn't help but laugh at the scene.

Du Zhengyi glanced at him meaningfully and said, "But I think if you met him, what you would see would probably just be a down-and-out man with a mental illness. Because even Great Mage Pei Shu's most exquisite Mind Control failed on you."

Luo Qi didn't know if he should be happy; based on his experience, this matter would definitely have a pessimistic explanation in the end.

Du Zhengyi asked him, "Have you never realized that it's very difficult for you to fall into hallucinations?"

Luo Qi laughed, which didn't sound very enthusiastic. "My family's Mind Rating is all very low; they aren't good at Mind Control, and our family doesn't talk about this much. I'm in the Third Grade this year, and the basic courses before the Fourth Grade don't involve psychology classes. I haven't done a Mind Rating yet; in fact, I haven't even thought about choosing such an awesome course to study. As for the ability not to fall into hallucinations... I don't feel it. On the contrary, I feel like I often hallucinate myself, spacing out and daydreaming at the slightest provocation. Is lack of concentration a kind of ability?"

"It's possible. Creating hallucinations requires the caster to perform directional hypnosis on the recipient. Your attention is drifting, and even a master can't grasp your consciousness." Du Zhengyi laughed after saying this. "This is just too funny."

Luo Qi couldn't even muster the thought of badmouthing him, slumping in his seat. "Do you think I need to apply for a mage disability? Maybe they'll give me some money."

Du Zhengyi laughed out loud, and by this time they had driven into a closed parking space.

"There is another possibility, which is the exact opposite situation. If your brain is very suitable for using Mind Control abilities, even in a subconscious situation, you are receiving projections of others' surface consciousness. You haven't been trained yet, and those consciousnesses that flow to the most superficial level are chaotic and disordered, like mottled shadows that cannot be seen clearly. They have been interfering with you, distracting your attention. In other words, your problem of lack of concentration is not the cause, but the result."

Luo Qi didn't speak; he felt Du Zhengyi was too optimistic. And even if this were true, it wasn't a good thing. A talent like Mind Control wasn't something a good person should have. If he really had a talent in this area, maybe no girl would be willing to marry him in the end.

As the garage door descended, Luo Qi suddenly realized he had not heard Du Zhengyi announce a destination, but the Pendragon Track had already activated; the next second the garage door opened, and they were already in the hub station of another city. He was secretly somewhat startled; Du Zhengyi was already able to skillfully use Yajian for control at the age of 24. Among the Mage population, which had an average lifespan of 225 years, ordinary people only had the possibility of developing such an ability after about the age of 90.

However, it did not matter if one could not develop it, Luo Qi thought to himself, because humans could replace this ability with a remote control.

"Don't worry about this matter for now." Du Zhengyi drove the car out of the hub station with high spirits, optimistic in every respect, "With someone who is not easily caught in an Illusion, it's as if I've obtained a test strip, and one that can be used repeatedly. Your L-Value is indeed very high, brother. Under the radiance of your little sun, my own L-Value has risen."

Luo Qi no longer had the energy to pay him any mind, "I'm hungry."