The Sausage Business Empire

With that, they got to work! Lin Kun and Oscar immediately ducked into the pitifully simple kitchen. Fortunately, Teacher Shao (Food System Spirit Saint, Head Chef of the Academy) wasn't around today, giving them free rein.

Lin Kun was in charge of ideas and "technical guidance," while Oscar used his Spirit Power to condense the sausages. After toiling for half the day, enduring several failures like "Spirit Power overload - sausages flying everywhere" and "failed seasoning ratios - bizarre taste," they finally achieved a preliminary success!

They cut Oscar's Recovery Great Sausage into small segments, skewered them with sharpened bamboo sticks, and then experimented with a few simple seasonings: some were sprinkled with cumin and chili powder to make "Spicy Recovery Skewers"; others were brushed with a little honey to create "Honey Spirit Power Skewers"; the rest were kept plain but renamed "Original Power Supply Blocks."

Looking at the "products" before them, with their completely new appearance and names, Oscar was ecstatic. "We did it! Lin Kun! Don't they look much better this way!"

Lin Kun picked up a "Spicy Recovery Skewer" and took a bite. While the taste wasn't comparable to the barbecue stalls of his past life, the sausage's original effect of restoring Spirit Power and physical strength was still there. The seasonings masked the subtle original taste, making it much more palatable.

"Let's go, Brother Oscar! Time to find our first taste testers!" Lin Kun said confidently.

The two first found Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who were sparring on the training grounds. Both were panting after their fight, their Spirit Power considerably depleted.

"Dai Laoda, Fatty, try our new product! Oscar's Custom Spirit Power Skewers! Free tasting!" Lin Kun enthusiastically handed them two "Original Power Supply Blocks."

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun took them with skepticism. Looking at the normal-looking skewers, they hesitated for a moment before taking a bite.

"Whoa? This tastes pretty good!" Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. He finished his in three bites and felt a warm current surge through his body, significantly restoring his depleted Spirit Power and physical strength. "The effect is good too! Much more comfortable than eating the big sausage directly!"

Dai Mubai nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Doing it this way makes it much easier to eat. Oscar, you've outdone yourself!"

Oscar was so thrilled by Dai Laoda and Fatty's approval that his face turned red. He looked at Lin Kun with eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

Next, they found Tang San and Xiao Wu resting under a tree.

Xiao Wu looked at the skewers, still hesitant. "This... this really isn't that..." "Absolutely not!" Lin Kun immediately assured her. "Look, even the shape is different! They're just ordinary grilled meat skewers! Brother Oscar made them with his Spirit Power, so they're clean, hygienic, and filling!" Tang San carefully examined them with his Purple Demon Eye and found no issues. He took a bite and nodded, "The taste is good, and the recovery effect hasn't been compromised. Xiao Wu, you should try it; it's tastier than dry rations." Only then did Xiao Wu cautiously take a bite and her face immediately lit up with a smile. "Wow! It really is delicious! Give me another honey-flavored one!"

Finally, they even mustered the courage to offer two skewers to Zhu Zhuqing, who was cultivating with a cold expression. Zhu Zhuqing looked at them, remained silent for a moment, then took them and ate them quietly. Although she didn't say anything, she gave a slight nod of approval.

Miss Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, raved about the "Honey Spirit Power Skewers" and even suggested packaging improvements. "If you could wrap them in pretty oil paper and tie a ribbon, you might be able to sell them at a high price in Soto City!"

The first round of tasting was a huge success! "Oscar's Custom Skewers" received unanimous praise (at least on the surface) from Shrek's Monsters!

Just as Lin Kun and Oscar high-fived in celebration, preparing to discuss large-scale production and sales plans, a sinister voice suddenly echoed from behind them:

"Oh? Starting a side hustle? Doing business within the academy? Did you get my approval?"

Dean Flander appeared behind them at some point, pushing up his glasses, which glinted with sharp light.

Oscar flinched in fright. Lin Kun's heart also tightened, and he quickly explained, "Dean, we were just making them for fun, to improve our meals..."

Flander picked up a "Spicy Recovery Skewer," examined it, took a bite, chewed a few times, and nodded. "Hmm, the taste is alright, and the effect hasn't diminished. You've got some business sense."

He changed his tone and fixed his gaze on them. "However, on Shrek's grounds, when you use Shrek Academy students' Martial Souls to create products for commercial activities, shouldn't you pay some... venue fees, brand usage fees, technical support fees, and so on?"

Lin Kun and Oscar: "..." Just as they expected!

Lin Kun braced himself and said, "Dean, how should we pay?"

Flander stroked his chin and chuckled, "Simple. From now on, I'll take a share in your business. I'll provide 'official certification' and 'sales channels' (which basically means tacitly allowing you to sell in the academy), and for the profits... I get seven, you get three."

"Seventy percent?!" Oscar exclaimed in disbelief. "Dean, that's too greedy!" Lin Kun's mouth twitched; this was even worse than the commission rates on some platforms in his past life!

Flander's eyes widened. "Greedy? Without my approval, could you even do this business? And do you think Teacher Shao's kitchen is free to use? Firewood isn't free? Seasonings aren't free? I'm giving you a friendly price considering this is your first offense... ahem, your first venture!"

Lin Kun quickly calculated in his mind: although he was being heavily exploited, with Flander's "official certification," they could at least sell legally within the academy. Moreover, with the Dean's backing, they might even be able to open up sales channels. It was better than being banned outright.

He gritted his teeth. "Dean, three-seventy split is acceptable! But we have a condition!" "Oh? You still dare to make demands? Go on." "We need initial startup capital! At least 10 Golden Spirit Coins, to purchase bamboo sticks, seasonings, and packaging! This money should be deducted from future profits!" Lin Kun attempted to get something for nothing.

Flander squinted at Lin Kun for a long time, then suddenly laughed. "Kid, you've got guts! Alright! I... this Dean will invest!" He actually pulled out ten Golden Spirit Coins from his pocket and threw them to Lin Kun. "Remember! This time next month, I want to see the first dividend! Otherwise, hmph..."

Holding the heavy ten Golden Spirit Coins and watching Flander's retreating back, Oscar felt like he was dreaming. "Lin Kun... we... we just got investment?"

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

Lin Kun wiped a cold sweat from his forehead. "You could say that... it's just that the investor is a bit ruthless. Brother Oscar, we've got a lot of work ahead of us!"

[Ding! Successfully unlocked the hidden commercial questline "Sausage Revolution," received Flander's "investment." Reward: 100 Breakdown Points.] [Triggered long-term mission: "Sausage Tycoon." Mission requirement: Successfully promote "Oscar's Custom Skewers" and achieve sustained profitability. Points rewards will be based on profit margins.]

Although Flander took the lion's share, they had finally taken the first step! Shrek Academy's first "school-run enterprise" (or so) was born!

Just as the sausage business was getting started, Shrek Academy welcomed a distinguished guest – Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang!

He had been invited by Flander overnight. Upon seeing Tang San, Xiao Wu, and especially Lin Kun at Shrek Academy, the Grandmaster's face showed extremely complex emotions: surprise, relief, but more than anything, solemnity.

He first called Tang San for a long private talk, and then he summoned Lin Kun.

In the office, the Grandmaster looked at Lin Kun with sharp eyes. "Lin Kun, you've given me another 'surprise.' Passing Shrek's assessment proves my initial judgment was correct. Your Martial Soul and that Spirit Ring are definitely not simple."

Lin Kun felt wary but maintained a respectful demeanor. "Grandmaster, you flatter me. It was just good luck."

The Grandmaster waved his hand, his tone serious. "With me, there is no luck. Only data and logic. I've reviewed your assessment records, especially the... interference ability you used against Zhao Wuji. Is that the effect of your Spirit Skill?"

Lin Kun knew he couldn't hide it, so he admitted, "Yes, my first Spirit Skill, [Information Overload], can forcibly inject analyzed information into the target, causing temporary mental interference."

The Grandmaster's eyes shone brightly. "Information-based Spirit Skill?! As expected! This perfectly aligns with the characteristics of your Book Martial Soul! Show me how you use it!"

Lin Kun had no choice but to cast his Spirit Skill on a nearby vase, packing and injecting irrelevant information he had previously recorded about the vase's material, floral pattern, and possible origin... The vase remained unresponsive.

However, the Grandmaster watched with extreme seriousness, even taking out a notebook to record. "Ineffective on non-living bodies? Requires the target to have mental activity? Are there restrictions on the type of information? What's the consumption like?..."

The barrage of professional questions made Lin Kun's scalp tingle, and he could only give vague answers, half-truthful and half-false.

Finally, the Grandmaster closed his notebook and looked at Lin Kun, his tone carrying a hint of fervor. "Lin Kun, your combination of Martial Soul and Spirit Skill has immense research and development value! It could revolutionize traditional Spirit Master combat modes! I hope you can cooperate with me in a series of tests and data collection; this will also greatly benefit your future!"

Here we go again! Lin Kun cried inwardly, quickly finding an excuse. "Grandmaster, I'm very willing to cooperate! But I owe Dean Flander a large sum of money right now, and I need to find a way to earn money to pay off my debt, otherwise the Dean will send me to mine..."

The Grandmaster was taken aback, clearly not expecting this. He frowned, seemingly displeased with Flander's shrewd business practices, but there was nothing he could do. He could only say, "Since that's the case, prioritizing earning money to repay your debt is paramount. But your cultivation cannot be neglected! Starting tomorrow, I will conduct special training for all of you! Your abilities will also be honed and tested during the special training!"

The second day, before dawn, hurried whistle blasts echoed throughout Shrek Academy.

The students, still groggy, gathered on the training grounds. Grandmaster and Flander were already waiting. Grandmaster's expression was impassive, while Flander wore a look of amusement.

"From today onwards, I will be responsible for your physical fitness and theoretical teaching," Grandmaster stated, his voice cold. "Shrek's teaching method is practical combat! Continuous practical combat! Breaking through your limits!"

"The first training exercise: endurance run! Run twenty laps around the village without using your Spirit Power! Last place gets no breakfast!"

The students looked at the village, which was several laps larger than Nuoding Academy's, and gasped! Twenty laps without Spirit Power? This would kill them!

But Grandmaster gave them no chance to bargain, immediately ordering them to start!

The brutal special training began! Endurance runs, weighted cross-country, stress resistance training, underwater breath-holding… various physical fitness exercises that pushed them beyond their limits were carried out in rotation, tormenting them to the brink of death. Even Dai Mubai and Tang San, who had the highest Spirit Power, complained bitterly, let alone Lin Kun, who had the lowest.

Lin Kun was almost entirely sustained by his willpower and the faint, cool mental power occasionally transmitted by Little White. However, his [Insight Skill] and Book Spirit were frantically recording and analyzing everyone's physical fitness data, limit points, recovery speeds, and even the logic behind Grandmaster's training plan.

He discovered that while Grandmaster's training was brutal, it was also highly targeted. The training intensity and methods for each person were subtly adjusted, aiming to maximize potential extraction without causing permanent damage.

During this time, Lin Kun's [Information Overload] Spirit Skill was also cleverly incorporated into the training by Grandmaster. For example, during a spar between Dai Mubai and Tang San, Grandmaster would have Lin Kun suddenly feed one of them the opponent's next attack intent, testing their ability to adapt on the spot. Or, when Lin Kun himself was nearing his limit during a run, he would be fed false information like "a beauty is chasing you from behind" (which wasn't true), stimulating him to unleash his potential…

This training method was highly effective, but it placed an immense mental strain on Lin Kun. After a few days, his Spirit Power hadn't increased much, but his mental power had become considerably more refined, and his control over his Spirit Skills grew increasingly precise.

By day, he was pushed to his limits by Grandmaster, and by night, he had to work overtime with Oscar to prepare the sausage skewers for the next day (because Dean Flander was waiting to take his share). Lin Kun felt like he was falling apart.

However, seeing the points slowly accumulating in the system, and the occasional extra rewards triggered by "progress in the sausage business" or "outstanding performance during special training (forced out by Grandmaster)," he felt it was all worth it.

It was just that he felt Grandmaster's gaze on him growing hotter and hotter, as if he were planning some even more "terrifying" research. As for Dean Flander, every time he saw Lin Kun and Oscar, the first question he asked was: "How much did you earn today? Where's my cut?"

Life at Shrek Academy was indeed like hell… yet it also brought a bittersweet joy. Lin Kun's journey of "breakdown" continued arduously amidst sweat, debt, and the smell of sausages.