Zhao Sifang handed the backpack to Qin Siyang, "Returning the item to its rightful owner. This time, I guess it also served as a test for my temperament."
Qin Siyang grinned, "Little Zhao, I'm unfamiliar with Zone 9, and I have nowhere to store the stuff in this backpack. Why don't you hold onto it for me?"
"Huh? You want me to hold onto it?"
"You're such a helpful guy. Might as well see it through to the end."
"But… this stuff is really valuable, and you're entrusting it to me…?"
"It's fine, Little Zhao. We already know each other well enough. I feel at ease leaving it with you."
Zhao Sifang gave him a disdainful look, "You've already formed contracts with every single one of them. What's there to worry about? I'm the one who's worried. If I lose even one or two of them, I wouldn't be able to pay it back even if I went bankrupt."
Qin Siyang clicked his tongue, "No way. I have a feeling that if you do lose one or two, they'll just so happen to be the exact ones I planned to gift you. What a coincidence, huh?"
Zhao Sifang immediately stuffed Qin Siyang's backpack back into his own bag, "Brother Qin, don't worry! I'll make sure to keep this safe!"
Qin Siyang grinned, "I trust you. That full beard of yours gives me a sense of security."
Zhao Sifang then asked, "What do you plan to do with these Crimson Crystals?"
"Haven't decided yet. I'll probably let Old Li study some of them and trade the rest."
"You're not planning to tell Professor Li and the others?"
Qin Siyang glanced at Li Tianming, who was enthusiastically discussing something with Zhang Kuang and Zhao Longfei. He said, "Old Li isn't some kind of god. His abilities are limited. Just one Crimson Crystal is enough to keep him busy for a while."
"Didn't you see? Every faction out there is already fixated on this single Crimson Crystal. If I take out more, it'll just flood the market, and I won't even get the terms I originally wanted."
After hearing that, Zhao Sifang nodded in agreement, "My dad always said, 'The more precious something is, the slower you should release it. That way, you can name your price.'"
"Brother Qin, do you dabble in business too?"
"Business? Little Zhao, you're overestimating me. Where would I get the ability for that? I'm just an orphan from the outskirts of the Safe Zone. I never had the chance to learn something so advanced."
"Then how did you know this?"
"I just figured it out on my own."
Zhao Sifang looked at him with admiration, "Brother Qin, you came to understand this just by thinking about it yourself? That's impressive!"
Qin Siyang shot him a look.
For some reason, he felt like this kid was low-key setting him up for flattery.
But Zhao Sifang's thick eyebrows and sincere gaze made Qin Siyang feel like he might just be overthinking it.
'Could it be that Zhao Sifang is really an upright man?'
Thinking back on their journey together, Qin Siyang increasingly felt that Zhao Sifang might actually have solid character.
He was… quite different from the people he used to know.
No, completely different.
Not just from others—even from his own second uncle.
And Zhao Sifang was also insanely strong, managing to rack up over 20,000 points. His background wasn't simple either, his relative was none other than Zhao Longfei, the principal of South Glory University.
At that thought, Qin Siyang became even more convinced—this Zhao Sifang was someone worth… befriending.
"Little Zhao, what are you planning to do next?"
"I came with my second uncle. Once we wrap up the business with the Crimson Crystals, I'll probably just head home with him in a couple of days."
"Your home's in Zone 7?"
"Yeah, but it's pretty far from South Glory University."
"Where are you planning to stay for school?"
"Still figuring it out. I'll probably stay in the shared dorms like the other students."
Qin Siyang asked, puzzled, "Little Zhao, your second uncle is the principal. He didn't arrange a private room for you?"
"Precisely because he's the principal, he didn't arrange one. He said the school's budget is tight, and if dorm assignments were based on student background and status, South Glory University would have to shell out a ton of extra expenses. Private rooms are only given to students who absolutely can't be accommodated otherwise."
"So, I'll most likely be sharing a dorm with three other special admissions students."
"Your family's well-off. Have you considered renting a place near the university?"
"Rent? South Glory University is right next to Jiulong Academy. The rent prices in the area are absurdly high. Renting a place would just be a waste of money."
Qin Siyang frowned, "You have money, but you're still saving on rent?"
Zhao Sifang replied, "Just because my family has money doesn't mean we'll waste it on unnecessary things. The rent is clearly overpriced by several times. I'm not about to throw my family's money away for nothing. Besides, my family wouldn't approve of that either."
Listening to Zhao Sifang, Qin Siyang nodded thoughtfully.
People always said that the wealthier someone was, the more careful they were with their money. He never really believed it before.
After all, what was the point of money if you didn't spend it?
But now, he was starting to think it might be true.
Qin Siyang said, "How about this? You and I are brothers. I can't stand to see you in a shared dorm."
"As part of my special admission deal, the entire tenth floor of the school's guesthouse has been allocated for my use. I can give you a room to use as your dorm. What do you think?"
"The entire floor is yours?", Zhao Sifang's eyes widened.
"Brother Qin, that's amazing! When my second uncle approved this special admission deal, he must have been bleeding internally."
"No way. It's a fair trade. Just look at him grinning. His face is practically as red as a monkey's butt."
Zhao Sifang glanced at Zhao Longfei, whose scarred face was stretched into a wide grin. He nodded.
True.
He hadn't seen his second uncle this happy in a long time.
Qin Siyang had definitely proven his worth.
Just the benefits from the Vine Core and the Crimson Crystals alone were more than enough to justify four years' rent for an entire floor.
Zhao Sifang sighed, "Brother Qin, the guesthouse rent is actually even higher than the apartments outside the school. I really can't afford to pay that kind of rent."
"Forget about money. We're brothers. You're even helping me hold onto the Crimson Crystals. Just consider the room a gift from me."
"I can't accept this, Brother Qin. It wouldn't feel right. If I take your offer, you'd be losing over a hundred silver coins per month. That's way too much."
Qin Siyang, righteous and firm, declared, "Little Zhao, I felt a connection with you from the moment we met. Our bond is priceless. A mere hundred silver coins per month, just a hundred-just a hundred silver coins per month… that's nothing. It's worth it if we can live closer and make studying more convenient!"
The moment he realized he'd be losing over a hundred silver coins every month, Qin Siyang's heart clenched a little.
'Forget it.'
'You have to spend money to make money!'
'Besides, the entire floor is something I got for free anyway.'
'A young master like Zhao Sifang, rich, powerful, and sincere, isn't easy to find.'
If he let this chance slip away, there wouldn't be another one.
Zhao Sifang didn't suspect Qin Siyang of scheming at all.
Especially since he knew Qin Siyang was just an orphan from the outskirts of the Safe Zone.
For someone like him, money should be the most important thing.
But Qin Siyang's generosity shook Zhao Sifang to his core.
His eyes turned red.
"Brother Qin!!!"
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