High School of Demon Hunting
Chapter 2594 - 815: So-Called Professionals
It turns out that divination skills included in the First University’s textbook have their unique merits.
Just like the face-touching divination method.
Although Zheng Qing didn’t want to meet Miss Barnes from the bottom of his heart, after he unconsciously touched his nose, they ended up meeting very quickly.
To be precise, this meeting was still requested by him.
"I found a professional for you, we’ll meet them after lunch." During lunch, Xin Fat Man sat down next to Zheng Qing with a tray and spoke quickly: "...Last night before sleeping didn’t you ask us to help you think of a way to deal with those potential rumors?"
"Can’t we handle it ourselves?"
Zheng Qing, who was eagerly gnawing on a roasted goose leg, was surprised upon hearing this. He looked up at the fat wizard, then at Xiao Xiao sitting on the other side, licked his greasy lips, and spoke with some confusion: "Haven’t we encountered this kind of thing before..."
Since freshman year when he had a conflict with Arthur Ness and learned the art of overwhelming gossip with more gossip, Zheng Qing had faced similar storms of public opinion more than once—including questioning cheating at the school hunting party, injuring Sepulano, participating in the Battle of the Black Prison, and recently, his rumored affair with Su Shijun, among others.
These storms may not have all been weathered entirely smoothly, but they didn’t cause him much trouble either. At most, when public opinion exploded, he needed to keep a low profile, disappear from everyone’s sight for a while with an invisibility talisman, or spend some money to hire someone to help with opening mail and gifts.
Therefore, this time, Zheng Qing was fully expecting to follow the same routine.
He even prepared to bleed a little for it.
"This time the situation is different."
Xiao Xiao, with a white napkin hanging on his collar, held a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, cutting the steak in front of him slowly and shaking his head slightly: "Previously, your troubles were all within the school, including the Su Councilor incident. Although there were some letters from outside, they were filtered through the School Guardian Array, hardly causing you any harm... But this time, you went to Shanglin Garden and got involved with a girl from the Huizong Tribe... Everyone involved is a person of significance; it’s not something you can just muddle through."
"I didn’t get involved with her!" Zheng Qing angrily looked at the goose leg in his hand and took a fierce bite, crunching down to chew the finger-thick bone into pieces.
Xin Fat Man looked admiringly at his strong teeth, squeezed the oily steamed bun in his hand: "Whether you got involved or not, this matter can’t be settled with just making a muddle... You’re going to graduate in a few months; think carefully about whether to resolve this trouble during school or take it with you after graduation."
Xiao Xiao lifted a piece of cut beef with his fork, holding it in the air.
"Don’t go to a restaurant when you’re hungry, because you’ll order more food than you can finish."
As he spoke, he stuffed that piece of beef into his mouth, chewing slowly and saying: "Life is the same—don’t start a relationship when you’re lonely because you’re likely to meet a swindler; and don’t seek ’professional’ help when you’re overwhelmed, because at that point, besides meeting scammers, you’ll also be scammed... This is a sincere warning from a friendly diviner."
"Can professionals solve those troubles?" Zheng Qing asked with a frown, cheeks puffed as he ground the bone bits in his mouth into powder.
"At least she has channels to handle those troubles." The fat wizard shrugged, swallowed the steamed bun in his hand, and his whole face instantly swelled up.
"Then let’s meet her." Zheng Qing picked up a nearby glass of pumpkin juice and sighed.
And then he deeply understood the significance of divination magic.
The meeting with the ’professional’ was at the Yota restaurant on Pedestrian Street. When Zheng Qing entered the private room, he turned around and left within a second, pushing the fat wizard out along with him.
"Did you get the wrong room? No way... I remember it’s this private room."
Xin Fat Man looked up at the room number, then at the opened paper crane in his hand, and finally at Zheng Qing, who pushed him out the door, with a puzzled expression.
"The ’professional’ you found is Miss Linda Barnes?" Zheng Qing lowered his voice, looking displeased: "Didn’t I remind you last night not to tell your Senior Linda about this?"
"Oh... You thought if I didn’t say it, she wouldn’t know?"
A look of realization appeared on the fat wizard’s face, then he shook his head disapprovingly. He sidestepped Zheng Qing, trying to squeeze into the room while explaining: "You have to look at it from another angle—if you hire her, wouldn’t you not worry about her using your trouble as news to hype? It’s a win-win. As for professionalism, you don’t need to worry either; do you know Thomas Barnes and Joy Barnes? Her family has a significant influence in the entire wizard world news field, enough to suppress your little gossip news." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Hearing this explanation, Zheng Qing, although still somewhat displeased, knew what he said was true and frowned, mentioning the two names he had just heard: "...Who are those two people you mentioned?"
As he spoke, he firmly blocked the fat wizard’s intentions to squeeze into the private room, still hesitating whether to go in.
"Thomas Barnes is the deputy editor of the Beta Town Post, and Joy Barnes is the editor-in-chief for Miss Duo Duo." The fat wizard gestured powerfully and succinctly: "Now you know why we found her?"
"With such a strong background, why did she need to find me earlier..." Zheng Qing didn’t finish this sentence, because he suddenly remembered last year at the moonlit ball, when Linda Barnes sought cooperation and casually said something about ’if I just want to join the Beta Town Post as a senior journalist.’
Thinking about it now, becoming a senior journalist at the Beta Town Post right after graduation certainly isn’t the treatment for an ordinary newcomer.
While he was in a daze, Xin had already squeezed past him into the room.
He heard the fat wizard’s slightly greasy greeting: "Darling... Oh, you ordered honey puffs and guava cake? Wonderful, I just need some dessert to digest after the meal!"
"I also ordered orange soufflé and soda water... but didn’t get any alcohol, do you have classes in the afternoon, right?" The witch’s voice was light and carried a hint of curiosity: "Why did Zheng Qing enter and then leave again?"
"I thought of some urgent matters... They’ve been resolved!" Zheng Qing pushed the door open and entered, looking at the opposite blonde witch holding a newspaper and smiling very reluctantly: "Good afternoon, Miss Barnes."
"Good afternoon, Master Zheng!" Linda Barnes waved at him and beamed with a smile.