Pre-Collapse Civilization, My Wife is a Snake Oh Chapter 5

Klein: "..."

"Doctor, I wouldn't be crying even if you hadn't called me."

Klein gave Mobius a speechless look. So the Doctor knew the probability of her success was very low, yet she still insisted on calling him...

Of course, the Doctor would never have guessed that Ling Xi not only didn't dislike Mobius, but actually had a good impression of her.

"Heh heh, Klein..."

Mobius hugged Klein, acting very affectionately.

"Doctor, you should go see Ling Xi first. It's rare that you've invited him."

Klein still had a helpless look on his face, urging Mobius to go see Ling Xi. Anyway, his mission was complete. Whether he could be successfully recruited depended on Mobius's own abilities.

"Mhm, that's right, Klein, let's go..."

Mobius nodded in agreement, let go of Klein, and walked towards the hall.

Upon arriving at the hall, Mobius spotted Ling Xi sitting on the sofa. She immediately walked over and said with a smile, "Hello there, Ling Xi, welcome to my laboratory."

"Mhm, hello, Doctor Mobius. It's an honor to meet you."

Ling Xi quickly stood up. After all, Mobius was a big shot, and he had to show her the respect she deserved.

"Heh, no need to be so formal. Feel free to be yourself."

Mobius smiled and sat down on the sofa with Klein.

Ling Xi, on the other hand, began to size up Mobius. Although he had seen her last night and even experienced her embrace, that was before he knew her identity. But now...

Knowing her identity, Ling Xi felt something was off...

"What's wrong? You've been staring at me like this?"

Since Ling Xi wasn't hiding his gaze, Mobius naturally noticed it. Feeling a bit amused, she curiously asked.

"Mhm... It's nothing, really. I just feel..."

Ling Xi scratched his head and smiled, "I feel like you're quite a bit bigger than I remember."

"Oh?"

Mobius's gaze shifted slightly. She said with a playful smile, "Quite a bit bigger... It seems, Ling Xi, you did something excessive to me last night?"

"Pfft... Cough, cough, Doctor, don't talk nonsense. I didn't."

Ling Xi quickly denied it. He had to deny it. After all, if he were accused of assaulting such a big shot, he wouldn't even know how he died!

"Then tell me, what part of me got 'quite a bit bigger'?"

Mobius looked at him with a wicked grin. Of course, she wasn't trying to falsely accuse Ling Xi; she just found it amusing and wanted to tease him.

"Uh..."

Ling Xi scratched his head and said, "I meant... your age..."

Mobius: "..."

Instantly, Klein felt a killing intent...

Klein: "..." Classmate Ling Xi, be careful in your next life...

"Heh heh, age..."

Mobius forced a smile and said, "May I ask, Ling Xi, how old do you think I am?"

"Doctor, I wasn't referring to your age, but rather that your appearance is different from my memory."

Seemingly realizing he might have said something wrong, Ling Xi quickly explained, "In my memory, you should have looked like a girl of fifteen or sixteen, which is why I didn't recognize you immediately last night."

"An image of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl..."

Mobius was momentarily unsure how to respond to this guy. Fifteen or sixteen years old? She wasn't even a researcher for the Flame-Chasing Moths back then. Could this guy possibly know her?

Deciding not to dwell on the issue, Mobius smiled and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's get down to business, like... thank you for what happened last night. I appreciate your trouble."

"Indeed..."

As soon as Mobius finished speaking, Klein nodded in strong agreement. "The Doctor is very difficult to handle when she's drunk. You really went through a lot last night, classmate Ling Xi."

Mobius: "..."

"Uh... It's nothing, it's nothing. It's normal to help someone in need. Don't worry about it."

Ling Xi quickly assured them it was no big deal. As for taking care of drunk people, it wasn't his first time, although this lady was indeed quite difficult to manage... Two hours of it.

"I still need to express my gratitude."

Klein said very seriously, "I'll keep a closer eye on the Doctor from now on to prevent situations like last night where she ended up sleeping by the roadside and being picked up. It's fortunate we met you; otherwise, it could have been dangerous."

"Eh... Picked up by the roadside..."

Ling Xi seemed a bit confused. Wasn't it because last night...

"Ahem..."

Mobius quickly coughed and said deliberately, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about last night anymore. Besides, it's not like I wanted to drink. But the investors insisted on inviting me to a banquet, so I had no choice but to attend. What else could I do?"

"Mmm..."

Klein rubbed his forehead at Mobius's words but didn't retort. After all, the investor was the benefactor.

Hearing that Mobius seemed to be deliberately hiding what happened last night, Ling Xi didn't expose her. Perhaps Mobius had her reasons.

"Oh right, Ling Xi, I'm really sorry for troubling you for so long last night, so..."

Mobius took out a bank card and smiled, "There's a hundred thousand in here. It's not much, but we're actually quite poor, so please don't dislike it."

"No, no need..."

Ling Xi quickly shook his head and refused, smiling. "As I said, I just made the choice any normal person would. I'm not seeking any reward. Dr. Mobius, please take it back."

Ling Xi certainly couldn't accept it. After all, he saved people last night because he couldn't stand by and watch someone die, and also because he had a mission. That's why he offered help, never considering any reward.

Moreover, establishing a good relationship with Mobius was countless times more precious than any reward.

"Oh ho."

Seeing Ling Xi refuse without even a hint of hesitation, Mobius couldn't help but think more highly of him. Because according to her investigation of Ling Xi, this guy... to be honest, was quite poor. He basically relied on the scholarship from the academy every month, plus a little bit of part-time work to get by. What was even more critical was that he had quit his part-time job two months ago, which was after Ling Xi returned from H City!

So, Ling Xi shouldn't have much money right now. As for savings... she had calculated his income and expenses. He basically wouldn't have any savings at the end of the month. Even if he did, it definitely wouldn't exceed four digits.

And even in such a situation, Ling Xi still refused the reward without hesitation.

Chapter 9: He Still Has to Say Thank You!

"Alright then, consider it that I owe you a favor."

Seeing that Ling Xi really didn't want her reward, Mobius put away the bank card and then said, "However... even though you refused my token of gratitude, as far as I know, your current financial situation doesn't seem very good, does it? And you've already quit your job."

"Mmm... indeed."

Ling Xi nodded silently and said, "I quit that job because it took up too much time."

"Then what will you do in the future?"

Mobius feigned concern and said, "Although Qianyu Academy provides some financial aid to outstanding students, this amount of money should not be enough for you to spend, right? And the cost of living in Changkong City is not cheap either."

Klein glanced at Mobius with some confusion. Strange, when did the Doctor start caring about other people's lives? And... someone she had only met less than a day ago.

"It's fine."

Ling Xi shook his head and smiled. "Because I'm planning to leave Changkong City soon and return to Shenzhou to find a job, and then consider other things."

"Eh... leave?"

Mobius immediately became somewhat vigilant and asked, "Aren't you a student at Qianyu Academy? And you're graduating from high school in half a year. If you leave Changkong City now... don't you want your studies anymore? And once you drop out, the financial aid from Qianyu Academy will be gone."

"Uh..."

Ling Xi hesitated but didn't know how to explain. He couldn't just tell Mobius that he knew the plot and that the third Honkai outbreak would occur in Changkong City next, right?

Damn it, if he said that and couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, wouldn't he be captured and dissected?

"Because of financial pressure, perhaps."

Klein offered a more reasonable guess. "The cost of living in Changkong City is too high, and the population is large, so there are naturally many people looking for jobs. The result of this intense competition is high prices and low wages."

"Uh... yes, yes, that's it."

Ling Xi quickly nodded. He was out of money, so he ran back home. This explanation was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?

"I see..."

Mobius nodded thoughtfully, and then the smile on her face gradually turned sinister. She looked at Ling Xi with a smile. "Student Ling Xi..."

Ling Xi: "..." Hey, hey, hey, can you stop looking at me like that? I'm scared!

"Cough, cough, don't be afraid, Student Ling Xi. I'm not a good person... pfft, I'm not a bad person."

Mobius cleared her throat and smiled. "You want to return to Shenzhou because of financial problems, right? Then... if I help you solve your financial problems, can you stay?"

"Ah?"

Ling Xi was instantly a bit stunned but quickly reacted. "Dr. Mobius, I just said that what I did last night was not for a reward. Please don't bring it up again."

"No, no, no, you misunderstood me."

Mobius quickly explained with a smile. "I mean, how about I help you find a job? Once you have a job, you can stay in Changkong City."

"A job..."

Ling Xi hesitated but had no intention of agreeing. Nonsense, because he wasn't staying in Changkong City for a job at all. It was entirely because of the Honkai!

"Don't rush to refuse, this job is very easy."

Mobius smiled slightly. "Look, although my laboratory is this big, I'm severely understaffed. So... would you like to come and work in my laboratory? That way, your job problem will be solved."

Klein: "???"

As expected of the Doctor. With this move, she not only lured Ling Xi into working in her laboratory but also recruited him under the guise of helping him solve his employment problem. This way, not only did the Doctor achieve her initial goal of recruiting Ling Xi, but Ling Xi might even have to thank them in the end!

"Eh..."

Hearing Mobius's recruitment offer, Ling Xi was instantly moved. Because... he had no choice but to be moved. Who was Mobius?

A top figure from the Pre-Collapse Civilization, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, a super scientist. If he could hold onto Mobius's coattails, then... a spot in the hibernation pod would definitely be secured!

However, Ling Xi was quite clear about his own capabilities, so he still said, "But I know absolutely nothing about laboratory work. I'm afraid I'll just slow things down..."

"Don't worry, don't worry, Klein is here anyway."

Mobius's smile widened, and she chuckled, "If you don't understand something, just ask Klein for help, or just hand it over to Klein to do. Anyway, all your work will have to be checked by Klein when it's done."

Klein: "..." Hey, Doctor, can you not increase my workload?

It was already difficult enough with Dan Zhu and Cang Xuan in the lab adding to her workload, and now... she had to add one more?

Meanwhile, Ling Xi was still contemplating whether it was more important to prioritize escaping Changkong City to save his own life, or to start relying on Mobius.

If this weren't Changkong City, Ling Xi would have agreed without hesitation. But the problem was precisely that it was Changkong City. Ling Xi was afraid that if he stayed in Changkong City, after the third Honkai outbreak, he wouldn't be able to latch onto a strong support and would simply be eliminated.

But... it probably wouldn't be that bad. After all, he had the Aslaug and Tesla Stigmata, giving him relatively high resistance to Honkai energy. As long as he didn't directly face the might of the Third Herrscher's lightning, he would likely be relatively safe.

So, after considering for a good while, Ling Xi asked again, "One last question, I'm still a student at Qianyu Academy..."

"That's fine. Qianyu Academy has a cooperative relationship with our branch. You can consider this a part-time job. Besides..."

Mobius smiled slightly, "You don't have classes every day anyway. You can come when you're free, or when I notify you. I won't bother you during your regular schedule."

"Alright then. Since Mobius is so earnest in her invitation, I'll give it a try for now."

Seeing that Mobius had said as much as she had, Ling Xi agreed. Regardless, it was better to latch onto an Archon's support first. After all, borrowing the Flame-Chasing Moths' hibernation pods was definitely more reliable than researching and producing them from scratch.

"Then it's settled! Starting today, you're my assistant. Please take care of me!"

Seeing Ling Xi agree so readily, Mobius was overjoyed. Regardless of whether Ling Xi was the person from H City that day, her interest in the abilities Ling Xi displayed last night was undeniable!

"Doctor, are you... really okay with this?"

Klein looked at Ling Xi, who seemed grateful to Mobius despite clearly being taken advantage of, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

Mobius said with a serious expression, "Not only have I solved the problem of the lab's staff shortage, but I've also solved Ling Xi's employment issue. It's killing two birds with one stone, isn't it? Moreover... I've helped Ling Xi solve his work problem, so he should be thanking me!"