"Well? It wasn't just me who got to your gate without realizing I should call you. Old Man Liu didn't realize it either! Hmph! I told you, your sign is too high up, and the lettering for your phone number is too small! It wasn't my fault!"
Hearing Qin Xiaoxue's rapid yet inexplicably proud voice, Su Ping blinked.
What was she doing? Trying to redeem herself because I said this morning that her brain sometimes didn't work?
Still, hearing her put it that way, could it really have been his fault?
"If you say so. But when you came here, you must have seen the advertisement, right? I put my phone number on that too."
"I was driving then. Finding my way was enough trouble already. How was I supposed to remember such a long phone number? Then I forgot it when I reached the gate."
"Oh, see? That's what I was saying..."
"Aaaaah! Do you even want your money anymore? I'm the client here!"
At the other end of the call, Vice President Liu watched Qin Xiaoxue desperately trying to prove her point, her face a picture of exasperation. He had no idea what Young Miss Qin was saying to Su Ping.
But come to think of it, he really had never seen Young Miss Qin like this.
At that thought, Vice President Liu couldn't help feeling a little wistful. If that young fellow really could win over Young Miss Qin, he would truly be something extraordinary.
But he soon shook his head.
Qin Erlong was one thing, but how could that person in Demon City possibly be won over so easily?
Still, none of that had anything to do with him. His task now was to deliver the Intermediate Breeder certificate he was carrying for Su Ping as soon as possible.
That was all.
With that thought, he quickened his pace as he followed Qin Xiaoxue.
Meanwhile, Su Ping put down his phone and shook his head with a smile.
Before he could dwell on how Qin Xiaoxue looked when she was furious yet could do nothing about him, Jin Sheng approached again.
Glancing at Breeder Jin, Su Ping didn't refuse. He saved the phone number of the Intermediate Breeder named Zhao Huaihai in his contacts, then continued asking:
"By the way, are there any requirements for the Intermediate Breeder examination?"
The question made Jin Sheng pause. He actually wanted to say, You haven't even qualified as a Junior Breeder, and you're already trying to run before you can walk?
But Su Ping was no ordinary young man, after all. Jin Sheng nodded and said:
"That's a very difficult one. It doesn't just test a Breeder's experience and techniques. You also have to master skill training for the pet beasts you specialize in, and your success rate in teaching those skills can't be below fifty percent. That's the strictest requirement.
"It's also the hardest. Red Fang Tigers are what I'm best at breeding, but I've never learned how to teach them skills. That's why I still haven't been able to attempt the Intermediate Breeder examination."
Su Ping raised his eyebrows.
"So how does a Breeder learn and acquire these skill-training methods?"
Looking at Su Ping, Jin Sheng spoke with a touch of ruefulness.
"It's simple. One way is to research and develop them yourself. But reaching that point is harder than hard, and anyone who manages it has an excellent chance of becoming a Senior Breeder in the future!
"Another way is to pay a high price for Magic Potion formulas, then use the Magic Potions to improve your chances of successfully teaching a skill. But the price of every skill-learning Magic Potion formula is beyond anything you could imagine!
"Finally, you can become an apprentice. You go to an Intermediate or Senior Breeder and learn their breeding methods. But that's just as difficult, and after becoming a Breeder, half your earnings-or even more than half-have to go to your master in return for passing on their craft. You also can't teach anyone else without your master's permission..."
At this point, a hint of uncertainty entered Jin Sheng's eyes, but it soon turned to resolve.
"Of course, I'm with the Fire King Company now. Here at the Fire King Company, as long as your performance meets the standards, you've worked for ten years, and you've fulfilled certain company targets, you can also apply to learn some skill-training methods!"
At that, Jin Sheng glanced at Su Ping.
"Su Ping, although the Fire King Company primarily deals in fire-type pet beasts, resources, items, and the like, I'm sure I don't need to tell you about its strength here in Linzhou City. It even has a certain amount of influence throughout Jianghai Province!
"It's not impossible for you to join the Fire King Company. With the company backing you in the future, becoming an Intermediate Breeder probably wouldn't be too difficult."
Su Ping smiled.
"I don't have any plans to do that for now. If I need to in the future, I'll definitely come to you, Brother Jin."
After chatting for a while, he had to admit that Jin Sheng had left him with a fairly good impression.
Although Jin Sheng was rather arrogant toward others, he had answered Su Ping's questions without holding anything back.
In particular, those basic insights into Breeders had been genuinely useful and valuable to Su Ping.
They had given him a deeper understanding of Breeders.
The differences between one Breeder and another could be enormous.
Quite apart from anything else, specializing in different pet beasts and excelling in different fields and directions already created vast differences.
Just then, two familiar figures finally appeared at the far end of Su Ping's line of sight.
Qin Xiaoxue and Vice President Liu had arrived.
The former was as brisk and bustling as ever. Su Ping had no idea what kept her so busy every day, but she was a rich woman, after all. Being busy was normal enough.
Beside him, Jin Sheng followed Su Ping's gaze. Naturally, he immediately recognized the woman in sunglasses leading the way as the mysterious Beast Tamer who had just summoned the Life Ancient Tree.
At this moment, however, Jin Sheng frowned slightly and looked at the other figure.
That balding old man looked a little familiar, didn't he?
Seeing Su Ping already walking over, Jin Sheng naturally had enough sense not to tag along. But his eyes remained fixed on the balding old man as he sank into thought.
He had some confidence in his memory. Jin Sheng was one hundred percent certain he had seen this old man somewhere before.
Where had I seen him again?
Jin Sheng scratched his head, momentarily at a loss.
Could I be remembering wrong?
Jin Sheng frowned. Before he could think any further, however, Su Ping walked up to the old man and greeted him with a slight smile.
"Hello, President Liu. You could've just called me, and I would've gone to the Breeder Association myself. I'm sorry for the trouble of making you come all this way again."
President Liu?
Jin Sheng blinked and looked again at the smiling, balding old man. His appearance slowly merged with a figure Jin Sheng had once glimpsed fleetingly in his memories.
It was as though a bolt of lightning had flashed through his thoughts.
Before he could react, that figure who had once seemed so far above him spoke with an exceptionally warm, kindly smile.
"How could I do that? I made a promise! Otherwise, wouldn't Miss Qin accuse me of going back on my word?
"Still, you're the only one who takes an Intermediate Breeder certificate so lightly, young Su. Anyone else would've been beside themselves with impatience by now. Hahahaha!"
Su Ping smiled too.
Yet none of them noticed Jin Sheng standing a short distance behind Su Ping, his gaze numb and bewildered, as though he had been struck by lightning.
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