Prompted by Li Qian, Zhou Weiping jolted back to his senses, but the shock in his eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

"Mad Dragon No. 3, switch to autopilot mode immediately." Without hesitating, he gave the command to the car’s center console screen and fixed his gaze back on Li Qian.

His gaze was like he was looking at some kind of monster.

’Figuring out the evolution method for the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon before even graduating high school... If that’s not a monster, what is?’

’Speaking of which, what was the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon’s pre-evolution form?’

’I think it was... a Koi Carp?’

’From Koi Carp to Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon... I heard this was an evolutionary problem that had stumped a huge number of Breeders, including plenty of Cultivation Masters and even Cultivation Grandmasters.’

’And now it’s been solved, just like that?’

’Solved by a high school student?’

’Could this world be any more surreal?’

’Granted, cultivating Pet Beasts—especially anything involving evolution—didn’t always depend on a Breeder’s level. Sometimes it came down to luck and inspiration. But even so, for a high school student to crack the code was still inconceivable.’

Li Qian’s casual tone left Zhou Weiping feeling a bit dazed.

Just then, after the command was issued, Mad Dragon No. 3 responded immediately. "Mad Dragon No. 3 received. Autopilot mode engaged."

With autopilot engaged, the car quickly stabilized. It was not only steadier, but it also picked up some speed.

As Mad Dragon No. 3 had taken control, there was no risk of an accident, so Zhou Weiping simply let go of the steering wheel and took his feet off the gas and brake.

He focused all his attention on Li Qian, gathered his thoughts, and then began, "Uh, Student Li Qian..."

But he immediately stopped himself and changed his form of address. "No, I mean, Cultivator Li..."

Li Qian found Zhou Weiping’s hesitant manner a little hard to take. He quickly waved a hand to cut him off. "Security Officer Zhou, if you have something to say, just say it."

At these words, a conflicted expression appeared on Zhou Weiping’s face. Finally, he grit his teeth and made his request. "Uh, Student Li Qian, I’m about to break through to Commander Level, which means I can contract a third Pet Beast. I was wondering... could I ask you to help me cultivate a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon?"

Li Qian nodded. As he expected, this was what it was about.

He smiled and held up a finger. "Of course. Market price is one hundred million!"

"Uh..." The single finger he held up was enough to render Zhou Weiping speechless.

The latter’s lips moved, but he didn’t know how to argue or even respond.

Because Li Qian hadn’t just pulled the price out of thin air. For a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon with Potential up to Tier Five Dominator, one hundred million wasn’t a high price. It was actually quite reasonable.

However, he could probably scrape together twenty or thirty million, but one hundred million? That completely shattered his extravagant hopes.

The most frustrating part was that he couldn’t even complain.

Seeing Zhou Weiping’s predicament, the corner of Li Qian’s mouth curled into a faint smile.

In reality, he had no intention of cultivating a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon for him at that price.

Even as a Security Officer in Lingshui City with a decent salary, the man couldn’t possibly come up with that much money.

He looked at Zhou Weiping, his voice calm and steady as he abruptly changed his tune. "Of course, that’s just the market price..."

"When cultivating a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon for Security Officer Zhou, we can’t go by the market price, of course."

"Here’s the deal. I’ve already promised Captain Liu Changfeng of Yunlan City that I’d cultivate a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon for him. The cultivation fee is ten million."

Li Qian looked at Zhou Weiping, pulled back his finger for a moment, then held it up again. "For you, I’ll also charge just ten million."

Zhou Weiping was ecstatic.

Though he felt a bit embarrassed to be accepting such a huge favor, his desire for a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon was so strong that he shamelessly agreed.

He immediately changed his form of address for Li Qian, promising without hesitation, "Student Li Qian—no, Younger Brother Li, I am truly grateful. If there is ever anything you need Brother Zhou for, just say the word."

Li Qian suppressed a smile, his voice tinged with humor. "Then I’ll take you up on that offer right now!"

"..." His words left Zhou Weiping speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

’Zhou Weiping’s gratitude was genuine, but by any normal person’s logic, wasn’t that kind of offer mostly just a polite gesture?’

’Who actually takes you up on it so bluntly?’

’Still, this is for the best. Fulfilling Li Qian’s request will allow me to repay some of the favor.’

’Repaying the whole thing is impossible, of course. He couldn’t expect to repay a ninety-million favor all at once.’

"There’s a Cultivation Base in the South Suburb called the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base." Now that his intention was clear, Li Qian didn’t hold back. His tone was calm as he spoke eloquently, "I... have taken it over..."

"COUGH, COUGH..." Li Qian’s tone was casual, but Zhou Weiping couldn’t help a fit of coughing upon hearing it.

’This kid really won’t stop until he says something utterly shocking. Taking over a Cultivation Base at the drop of a hat? Is that something a high school student does?’

’But then he remembered this high school student was Li Qian, and he calmed down. It suddenly seemed normal.’

Ignoring Zhou Weiping’s loss of composure, Li Qian continued without stopping, "But the place is a bit remote. If something were to happen, I might not be able to deal with it on my own."

Li Qian felt he had said enough.

And it was. Zhou Weiping wasn’t stupid; he understood exactly what Li Qian meant.

This was a clear signal. He wanted him—or rather, the Public Security Bureau—to take responsibility for the security of the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base.

Zhou Weiping did not immediately agree, but fell into deep thought.

’Increasing patrols in a certain area wouldn’t be difficult for me,’ Zhou Weiping mused. ’But that alone probably wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Li Qian.’

’But he was just a Security Officer. He didn’t have the authority to reallocate security resources to a specific area.’

Seeing Zhou Weiping’s hesitation, Li Qian didn’t waste any time and raised the stakes. "I believe that as a citizen of Lingshui City, helping the Public Security Bureau is the same as protecting our own lives and property."

"If possible, I’d like to establish a closer cooperative relationship with the Public Security Bureau."

He looked off in a certain direction, his tone firm. "If the Public Security Bureau is willing to establish a permanent, staffed guard post near our Jiaoyang Cultivation Base, then I don’t think our Cultivation Base would be shy about offering one cultivation slot for a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon each year for a fee of ten million."

The significance of cultivating one Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon for Zhou Weiping was completely different from cultivating one for the Public Security Bureau every year, especially at such a low price.

Li Qian had truly racked his brains for the sake of the Cultivation Base’s security—or more accurately, for the safety of his parents.

’As for using public resources for private gain, he couldn’t care less. This world was unfair to begin with.’

"This..." The monumental promise left Zhou Weiping stunned, unsure how to respond. But he was a man who had been through a lot. After a moment, he collected himself and replied, "Younger Brother Li, rest assured. I will handle this matter with the utmost seriousness. I’ll report it to the Bureau Chief the moment I get back."

His tone was confident as he offered his prediction. "And I believe there’s a ninety percent chance our Bureau Chief will agree."

’Compared to a guaranteed Tier Five Dominator Potential Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon every year for only ten million, setting up a permanent, staffed guard post near the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base is nothing.’

’I’m sure Li Qian isn’t interested in the guard post’s actual defensive power, but what it represents—its deterrent effect.’

’As long as that guard post is there, its mere presence would be enough of a deterrent to scare off most petty opportunists.’

"Then I’ll be waiting for your good news, Brother Zhou." After Zhou Weiping’s reply, the delight on Li Qian’s face grew more apparent. He watched as Mad Dragon No. 3 sped along—not toward the Public Security Bureau, but turning to head straight for the South Suburb. He broke into a smile. "By the way, Brother Zhou, don’t I need to go to the Public Security Bureau to give a statement?"

Zhou Weiping waved his hand dismissively. "The hotel has the complete surveillance footage. There’s no need for you to give a statement."