Chapter 25: Keeping the Appointment

Who is the enemy, who is the friend?

This is a problem that needs deep thought, and then more deep thought.

In this incident, is Lifusi Fulansi definitely the enemy? Is the victim Mina, who leaked the news, definitely the friend?

Lin Ke did not make hasty judgments, but he did not simply regard Lifusi as an enemy and the former victim Mina as a friend.

In fact, Lin Ke never even thought of personally taking revenge on Lifusi; he only wanted to remove himself and Mo Li from this matter.

If, after chatting with Mo Li later, she agrees with his idea,

and if Mo Li does not agree, then all Lin Ke needs to do is remove himself.

After sending away the five frightened people, Lin Ke entered the reading room and calmly reviewed his notes on germination and cultivation that he had copied yesterday.

Mo Li came soon.

"Lin Ke, you called me over so urgently—do you miss me? How wonderful!"

After a night's rest, Mo Li again had the leisure to tease Lin Ke.

"No."

Lin Ke wore a cold face, showed no mercy, and bluntly got to the point: "If—I say if—the girl who informed you invites you somewhere, don't rush to agree, and don't rush to go. At that time, first tell me."

"Do you suspect she has a problem?"

Mo Li reacted quickly—or rather, as a noble who had seen intrigue since childhood, she had already suspected it in her heart, merely lacking confirmation of her vague guess.

"Hmm."

Lin Ke responded frankly.

"Has something happened?"

Mo Li frowned slightly and asked, "Did the people Lifusi sent really come to cause you trouble?"

Lin Ke did not answer but countered: "If Lifusi's people came to cause me trouble, and if they really disciplined me, how would you think I feel? What would your impression of Lifusi be? After being threatened for no reason, not provoking him yet still getting beaten for no reason."

"Angry? Hatred?"

Mo Li, thinking, guessed, "Your heart must feel very uncomfortable."

Lin Ke then asked: "At this point, if something else happens to you, or if someone tells me you will encounter something, how would I react?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Li's face showed a hint of coldness, and she said coldly, "Report to the academy, find the intelligent law-enforcement puppet, and deal with Lifusi."

Lin Ke then did not ask further.

Last night, from Mo Li, Lin Ke learned of the relationship and entanglement among Lifusi, Enrike, and Mina, the one who passed the message, and he vaguely guessed a possible truth behind a series of events.

It was nothing more than borrowing a knife to kill.

The knife surely comes from the academy.

As for who wants to borrow the knife, it is nothing more than either Enrike or Mina, or both of them.

Lin Ke does not care about that.

What Lin Ke cares about is that he and Mo Li have undoubtedly become the reason for borrowing the knife, becoming tools that can be kept in the dark and sacrificed at will.

This makes Lin Ke a little unhappy.

So…

"If my guess proves correct, I will talk with Lifusi Fulansi and then find a way to set them against each other."

Lin Ke laid out his thoughts: "We don't need to stir in this muddy water, get ourselves dirty, waste time, and accomplish nothing. What do you think?"

"Good."

Mo Li nodded; she actually felt some sympathy for Mina's plight, which is why she was reluctant to affirm her guess.

But when facing those who wish her harm, Mo Li can still be ruthless.

She took the initiative to ask, "What do you need me to do to cooperate?"

"Not in a hurry."

Lin Ke waved his hand, his expression calm, "Wait until they make a move, then we'll talk."

To be frank, Lin Ke does not think too highly of himself, but Enrike and Mina's tricks are really not clever at all; they are easily seen through.

But having said that, what clever tricks could a thirteen-year-old and a fourteen-year-old come up with?

People differ from one another.

Only a tiny fraction of people are extraordinarily intelligent at a young age—some can call out elephants at six, some attain high office at twelve, and some children debate the sun so well that even sages are left speechless.

But the vast majority of people, lacking study and worldly experience, find it hard to mature mentally, their thoughts extremely unstable—how can they plan affairs and scheme against others?

Lin Ke's unwillingness to participate in the academy's social life and entertainment actually stems partly from this factor.

Those occasions, and the people there, always give him a sense of discomfort, as if children are forcing themselves to act like adults.

……

Time passed in peaceful study.

In the evening, Lin Ke and Mo Li agreed that Mo Li would wait for him at the Library, while he would first go to the Botanical Garden to handle work.

Entering the Botanical Garden, Lin Ke and Sophie Lucia exchanged a distant glance, but neither spoke to greet the other.

Lin Ke went straight to Greenhouse No. 3 in the third row, randomly checked the condition of the seeds, then first performed a germination technique, and immediately afterward performed a Supermodel's Minor Mist Rain technique.

After sitting on the ridge and doing light meditation to restore his mental and magical power, Lin Ke performed a second Supermodel's Minor Mist Rain technique.

Today's work thus ended.

Whether the specific effect is as Lin Ke envisioned needs to be checked tomorrow morning.

Not in a hurry to leave, Lin Ke did another light meditation, adjusted his state to optimal, then left the Botanical Garden and returned to the Library.

Mo Li waited in the corner seat of the reading room, her expression a little sad.

It seems Lin Ke's guess was correct—Mina really invited Mo Li to some place.

A sheet of sympathy fed the dog.

Seeing Lin Ke's searching gaze, Mo Li nodded.

Lin Ke then called to Mo Li, and they left the library.

What now?

Outside, Mo Li immediately asked.

Someone invited us, so of course we'll go.

Lin Ke replied earnestly.

Speaking, he pulled out his Portable Smart Brain, using the free protection benefit of one intelligent law enforcement puppet per semester.

Soon, an intelligent law enforcement puppet resembling a fixed-wing drone flew up to Lin Ke.

Please enter invisible follow mode.

Lin Ke politely requested of the intelligent law enforcement puppet.

Being polite never hurts, and besides, nobody knows whether the controller of the intelligent law enforcement puppet is a high-level tower spirit with an emotion system or a low-level tower spirit without one.

If it's the former, it could at least earn a good impression.

Thus, Lin Ke and Mo Li walked nonchalantly to the leisure cottage by the lakeside grassland that Mina had arranged.

Many such leisure cottages stand beside the lakeside grassland; entry is granted by swiping an ID, with a symbolic fee paid in gold or silver coins.

Soon, the two reached the leisure cottage and pushed the door open.

Inside, a charming blonde‑haired, blue‑eyed girl was waiting—none other than Mi Na. Ha Fu Qie Ke.

On the small round table beside her sat two cups of clear water.

Seeing that Mo Li had not come alone but was accompanied by Lin Ke, Mina's eyes flickered with a hint of panic, which she quickly concealed.

Mo Li had no intention to speak, leaving everything to Lin Ke to handle.

Lin Ke stopped at the small round table, then picked up the two cups of water and smelled them in turn.

As expected, one of the cups had been laced with a hallucinogen.

Lin Ke stared into Mina's eyes for a while, until her gaze began to flicker.

He then earnestly said: "Wanting revenge is fine—direct it at the perpetrator. If your strength is lacking, then silently accumulate it. If you harm others, aren't you just becoming a perpetrator yourself?"

(End of chapter)