After entering the building, Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then went to the public phone and called Cheng Zitong. "Teacher, I'm back."
Cheng Zitong's voice came through the receiver. "How did it go? Everything smooth?"
Chen Chuan said, "Very smooth. Senior Apprentice Ren taught me quite a lot."
"Xiao Tian is very experienced. Don't be fooled by his wild name—he does everything by the book. You won't lose out by following him. Oh, and since you returned safely, you can collect your reward. I'll speak to Xiao Tian later."
Chen Chuan said, "Teacher, I didn't really do much this time."
Cheng Zitong said, "Don't say that, and don't feel like you don't deserve it. For assignments like Xiao Tian's, having someone to lend a hand and having no one are completely different. Even if you sat around the whole time, you still had your use. The important thing is trust, understand?
"When the critical moment comes, having someone you can trust with your back gives you confidence. No matter how formidable you are, seeing you alone can give people ideas they shouldn't have. Especially some idiots—they love doing that sort of thing."
Chen Chuan readily accepted the advice. "Teacher, I'll follow your arrangements."
"That's more like it. Every Rest Day this month, I'll arrange an assignment for you. Do your best to complete them. You won't necessarily be following Xiao Tian; you may have to carry some out alone. Mainly, it'll help you build up some experience, and you can earn some payment on the side.
"With your physical foundation, you'll definitely need more medicine than others. So you should prepare more money."
Chen Chuan wholeheartedly agreed. Even if Cheng Zitong could help him get wholesale prices, once the quantity of medicine increased, the expenses would still be considerable.