Grimoire Training

One sentence pinned every gaze in the sales office to the scale model.

Five minutes later, in the top-floor signing room.

Zhou Xiaomin held the black-and-gold card to the asset-verification terminal. Her fingertips would not stop trembling.

Beep.

A message appeared on the screen.

[Asset verification complete: 20 million+]

Hurried footsteps sounded outside. Sales manager Qian Guang pushed through the door, his tie crooked from running.

"Which gentleman wanted to see the hillside properties—"

His words died when he saw the screen.

After more than ten years in the business, he had seen plenty of people come in just for the air-conditioning. But the terminal did not lie. All those zeroes made him dizzy.

"May I have your surname, sir?"

"Su."

"Mr. Su!" Qian Guang hurried over and offered his business card with both hands. "Please have a seat. We'll bring you fresh tea right away."

Su Bai did not take the card. He pointed at the screen.

"Three houses. Thirty-four million eight hundred thousand."

"I don't have enough liquid cash on my card."

Qian Guang's heart sank.

Not enough? Twenty million wasn't enough?

"Then what did you have in mind...?"

"I'm definitely buying more than one." Su Bai leaned back in his chair. "Most of my money's tied up in the business. It won't come back until the end of the year. This is what I can use today."

Qian Guang's eyes shifted.

Money tied up in a business was perfectly normal. Could a young man who discussed a thirty-million-plus purchase without blinking really have no wealth behind him?

"Master," Kabi said from Su Bai's shadow, stifling a laugh, "you're awfully good at acting rich."

"Mr. Su, here's the situation." Qian Guang leaned closer. "Those three houses on the hillside have been listed for two years. Headquarters is pressing us to sell."

"I have some room to move on the price."

"If you can commit to two today, I can give you a package deal."

"How much?"

"Sixteen million for two." Qian Guang held up two fingers. "A single house starts at eleven million, as you know. I'd be putting my neck on the line at this price."

Su Bai said nothing. He tapped the tabletop twice.

Eight million per house. The six million he saved would buy Xiaoxiao every game console she could want in this life and the next three.

"Who pays for the protective field's energy use? It runs year-round."

"The developer covers it for the first three years!" Qian Guang thumped his chest. "And we'll waive twenty years of property-management fees!"

"Fine." Su Bai nodded. "Manor One and Manor Two. They're next to each other, and it's quiet."

"Hold Number Three for me. I'll come back when my money comes in at the end of the year."

"Of course!" Qian Guang could barely contain his smile. "I'll arrange it right now!"

The Notary AI and the bank staff arrived one after the other.

The AI was a floating silver sphere. It scanned everyone's face as soon as it entered.

"Notary AI Bingqi will provide a complete certified record of this transaction."

The bank had sent Vice President Wu from Federation Savings Bank's Xinghai Branch. He handled large transfers.

A sixteen-million deal was worth a trip in person.

The contract terms scrolled past, and the AI notarized them one by one.

"Rest assured, Mr. Su. The owner's information is filed at the highest confidentiality level. No one can access it." Qian Guang smiled beside him. "Even the Monster Hunting Bureau would have to go through Federation procedures first."

That was exactly what Su Bai wanted to hear.

Vice President Wu personally oversaw the transfer. Sixteen million left the card and entered the escrow account in under ten minutes.

"Congratulations, Mr. Su."

Qian Guang came over carrying two obsidian cases in both hands.

"The Psionic Barrier Crystal Keys for Manor One and Manor Two. They control the protective field, underground vault, and teleportation array."

Su Bai took the cases and weighed them in his hands.

The cases were cool to the touch. Inside each lay two thumb-length crystals with a muted violet glow.

"Mr. Su, if you still have a few million left, would you like to look at our bank's investment products? The annualized return—"

"Not interested." Su Bai slipped his card back into his inner pocket. "I'd rather keep the cash on hand."

Vice President Wu took the rejection in stride. He smilingly offered his business card, and Su Bai tucked it into his pocket.

"Um..." Zhou Xiaomin stood nearby, her fingers twisting together. "Sir, now that the paperwork is done, is there anything else you need?"

"No." Su Bai put away the cases. "Oh, the commission on this sale goes to you, right?"

"Yes! Yes, it does!"

"Two percent. Three hundred and twenty thousand, not a cent less," Qian Guang added. "Xiaomin did a great job today."

Zhou Xiaomin's eyes reddened at once.

She had spent two years in this job serving tea. All her commissions combined had not reached five figures.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, Manager Qian!"

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, several senior saleswomen pressed against the glass and peered in.

When the young man had walked in that morning, they had not even bothered to look up.

"If I'd known, I would've..." someone muttered.

"Would've what?" another scoffed. "Did you smile when he came in?"

No one answered.

"..."

"Mr. Su, we've arranged a convoy to take you to the manor—"

"No need." Su Bai waved a hand. "Which floor is the teleportation array on?"

"The first basement level! I'll show you!"

White light flashed, and the ground beneath his feet changed.

Manor One's entrance hall had a nine-meter ceiling and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river.

Su Bai had no interest in the view.

Following the key's guidance, he went down to the third basement level. The vault door was half a meter thick and made of alloy. He pressed a crystal to it; blue light swept across, and the door slid open without a sound.

He tipped out his Storage Magic Device onto the floor.

Clatter—

F-rank Ice Toad Cores, high-grade crystals taken from the lord's body, rare bones, several stacks of cash and bonds, and his and Xiaoxiao's documents covered half a table.

"Wow." Kabi flew a lap around the vault. "Master, this place is a lot grander than under our bed."

"Obviously."

"Oh, right, Master." Kabi floated back. "Black Crow should have a valuation for those six crates of raw stones tonight."

"Have him transfer the money straight to my card when he does." Su Bai did not look up. "If he shortchanges me by a single cent, the Monster Hunting Bureau can make the next delivery to Xinghai Tower."

"That's ruthless. I like it."

Su Bai sorted everything into place, then took out his phone and sent Xiaoxiao a message.

"Working a late job tonight. Don't wait up."

Once everything was settled, he teleported back to the sales office, walked two blocks to a fried chicken shop, and bought three family buckets and an extra-large cola before teleporting back.

Back in the manor's entrance hall, he set the food on the coffee table and dropped onto the leather sofa.

"Master, this sofa's a hundred times softer than the one at home!" Kabi wriggled into a gap between the cushions and rolled around. "I'm never leaving!"

"Get up. Don't make it smell like fried chicken."

His phone buzzed.

"Oh. Then, Hajige, remember to eat something good! Don't live on instant noodles!"

Su Bai stared at the message for two seconds, then replied, "Mm."

He had a house, a vault, and a safe place for everything he owned.

Now that his time to relax had finally arrived, no one was getting him off this sofa.

He picked up a piece of fried chicken and bit into it. The crunch rang out in the cavernous hall.

He had not even picked up a second piece when—

Ding!

On the coffee table, the Star Magical Girls Custom Communicator lit up without warning, flashing red in rapid bursts.

Kabi sprang out of the shadows.

Its usual excitable chatter was gone. Its voice came flat and cold, each word clipped, a mechanical monotone without a trace of emotion.

This was Kabi's "work mode"!