Xiao Wu: These Spicy Rabbit Heads Are Delicious, I've Got to Eat Them

"Oh, wow, they smell amazing, really amazing..."

"Tell me... (munch, munch) who came up with... (munch, munch) these spicy rabbit heads? They're so mouthwatering."

Lin Qingchen looked at Xiao Wu, who was digging in across from him, and burst out laughing. "Who was it that just said she'd rather die outside or jump off the teaching building than eat a single bite of my food? Hmm? Answer me!"

"Cough, cough-"

Xiao Wu swallowed a mouthful of rabbit meat and glanced guiltily at the three spicy rabbit heads and the big pile of bones in front of her. Then she turned to Tang San beside her.

"Who said that? How come I didn't hear it? Little San, did you?"

Tang San lifted his head from his rabbit head and gave Xiao Wu a bewildered look, then immediately caught on.

"Xiao Wu, I didn't hear it..."

Xiao Wu then whipped her head around to look at the other working students beside her and raised her grease-covered fist. "What about you?"

"Cough, cough, Sister Xiao Wu, we didn't hear anything!"

Seeing Xiao Wu start threatening the others, Lin Qingchen shook his head helplessly. He had to admit, that damned rabbit was carefree, eating spicy rabbit heads with such relish.

But it didn't matter. It was just one meal, after all, and it wouldn't even cost a single Gold Soul Coin. He glanced at the balance in his Splitting Gold Coin.

Hmm...

He'd just treat it as paying for a bit of fun.

(As for the exact amount, the author is bad at math and too lazy to calculate it. Interested readers can work it out yourselves.)

"All right, you all eat. I'll be going first."

With that, Lin Qingchen took out a Gold Soul Coin and placed it at the cafeteria window.

"Put everything that table ordered on my tab. Keep the change."

Seeing how generous Lin Qingchen was, the cook behind the cafeteria window immediately beamed and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure those students are well looked after."

Lin Qingchen waved and left the cafeteria.

By rights, after breaking through level twenty, he needed to go to Spirit Hall for another Soul Master assessment. After all, that was the only proof needed to receive the Soul Master subsidy issued by Spirit Hall. But Lin Qingchen wasn't short of money, so he didn't go.

He wandered around Nuoding City. In truth, Nuoding City was only so big, and after staying here for three years, Lin Qingchen had long since explored every corner of it.

Even the city lord's residence was no exception. Back then, after he had beaten Xiao Chenyu up, Xiao Chenyu had not only held no grudge against him, but had latched onto him like an M, intent on becoming his lackey. It had almost made Wang Sheng, a man, "fight for his affections" with the guy.

But those two had graduated later, and the matter had fizzled out.

Because of that connection, Xiao Chenyu had even invited him over to his home for a meal. It was just that he didn't much like the other's father, Old Xiao (as Lei Nuo called him). The man looked so frail that Lin Qingchen was afraid a single breath from him would break the man's bones.

"Hmm?"

Lin Qingchen stopped in his tracks, his attention immediately drawn to a shop by the street.

A great pile of assorted goods was displayed inside the shop, all sorts of odds and ends. Without exception, though, they were all things meant to boost virility and strengthen the kidneys.

And wasn't the person sitting inside the shop, his face ashen, none other than Xiao Chenyu?

Xiao Chenyu spotted Lin Qingchen too and hurried over.

"Boss! What are you doing here?"

Lin Qingchen glanced at the goods in the shop. "I haven't even asked you yet. How did you, the esteemed city lord's son, end up keeping a shop here? And selling this stuff, at that."

"Boss, don't even mention it. I don't want to either..."

At that, Xiao Chenyu immediately pulled a long face.

"Selling all this stuff-could it be that your dad finally gave up on strengthening his kidneys?"

He remembered Lei Nuo telling him that, over the years, the city lord had bought a great pile of things to replenish his depleted Qi and blood.

Even the piece of Whale Rubber Lin Qingchen had once eaten had been mooched from Old Xiao by Lei Nuo. But from what he had seen when he went to dinner with Xiao Chenyu, the city lord was as thin as a beanpole, while the city lord's wife wore a look of resentment and disdain. No matter how he looked at it, the stuff didn't seem to have helped.

Xiao Chenyu sighed, his expression turning even more miserable. "I saw that Dad had been taking supplements for three years without any results, and that he'd bought a huge pile of the stuff that was just sitting around, so I casually told the truth one evening while the family was eating dinner."

"But it seemed I'd hit a sore spot. Although he stopped taking the supplements, he threw me straight out and said I shouldn't even think about coming home until I'd sold the supplements piled up like a mountain in the warehouse."

"Heaven have mercy, all I did was tell the truth..."

The corner of Lin Qingchen's mouth twitched.

Nice one, kid. Telling your dad he has weak kidneys right in front of your mom-Old Xiao must have a good temper not to have given you a taste of the Seven Wolves belt on the spot.

But this was a pretty good opportunity.

Lin Qingchen glanced at the Whale Rubber in the display case beside him. Although none of it looked to be in particularly good condition, there was quite a lot of it.

"How much Whale Rubber does your family have left?"

"Huh?" Xiao Chenyu seemed not to have expected Lin Qingchen to ask such a question. He froze for a moment before answering, "There isn't much of that. I think there's only one box left at home."

"All right, I'll take it all," Lin Qingchen said directly.

"What? Boss, what do you want that for? Don't tell me..."

Xiao Chenyu's gaze turned strange as he looked at Lin Qingchen, wondering whether Lin Qingchen played around even more wildly than he, the young city lord, did.

"All right, how much? Name your price." Lin Qingchen glared at him.

Xiao Chenyu shuddered and hurriedly said, "No need, no need. If you want it, Boss, I'll just have someone bring it over."

Lin Qingchen looked at him deeply and didn't refuse. Instead, he changed the subject. "Then do you know where your dad bought so much Whale Rubber? As I recall, it isn't produced in large quantities, and it only comes from coastal cities."

Xiao Chenyu thought back carefully, then said, "I heard my dad say he has a friend who runs a merchant association over in Vast Sea City. Thanks to that connection, he was able to buy some coastal specialties."

"I see..."

Lin Qingchen pondered. In that case, he could buy Whale Rubber in bulk through Xiao Chenyu's father. Even if he didn't eat it himself, he could save it for others to use.

Besides, the Xiao father and son were merely city lords from a small place. He only needed to spend a little more money and use his strength to easily keep them under control, so he didn't need to fear them turning against him.

So he immediately said, "How about this? Take me to your home. I'll discuss a deal with your dad."

"Sure thing." Xiao Chenyu agreed without another word.

That day, Lin Qingchen went with Xiao Chenyu to the Xiao residence and met the city lord, Xiao Shan.

In light of Lin Qingchen's financial resources and formidable talent, Xiao Shan readily agreed to help him buy Whale Rubber in bulk.

He didn't ask what Lin Qingchen wanted it for, either. After all, he was on pretty good terms with Lei Nuo, so he naturally knew how highly Lei Nuo thought of him.

Once the deal was settled, Lin Qingchen left some Gold Soul Coins behind, then departed with a box of Whale Rubber that was already on hand.