Zheng Qing's invitation for Linda Barnes to join the investigation into "the Raven" was not entirely a sudden inspiration. He had entertained the idea long ago, but had never found a particularly good opportunity.
Granted, because of Fatty Xin, the Blonde Witch had been helping out intermittently before, but that help had been "out of friendship" and was hardly wholehearted. As the former Vice Editor-in-Chief of the School Newspaper, Zheng Qing had reason to believe that Linda had richer sources of information and broader ways of gathering it, and he also believed that most of those would not be available to a "friendship project."
Thus, this time, with both sides confirming their cooperation and taking what they needed, it was effectively a win-win situation for everyone.
In short, Zheng Qing had stumbled safely through Christmas Eve of 2009.
The next day was Friday, Christmas.
This day carried different meanings for the various academies of First University. For Jiuyou Academy, Christmas was merely one ordinary festival among more than three hundred in the year. The academy's teaching schedule had not arranged any special public holiday for it, and the young wizards still had to attend class obediently.
Friday morning brought an Alchemy class.
Early that morning, the moment Zheng Qing arrived at the classroom, he could not wait to snatch the freshly printed Beta Town Post from Fatty Xin's desk, searching it anxiously for news about last night's Under the Moon Ball.
The night before, he had been jolted awake by nightmares again and again. When he woke in the morning, he found, unsurprisingly, a row of beheaded Nightmare Dolls beside his pillow. As a result, he had no appetite at breakfast, his mind full of wild thoughts as he guessed what tone the newspapers outside would use to describe his