Vera stood at the address for Workshop 37 in Zone F, looking up at the huge, block-like steel workshop before her.

She double-checked the address in her hand to confirm it was correct before stepping forward and requesting entry at the sensor pad by the door.

The heavy doors slid apart.

Within, a familiar figure was waiting silently.

A crisp tuxedo, a spotless top hat, and a matte-black metal chassis—every detail exuded elegance.

Ah Fu placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "Lady Vera, good afternoon. Sir is currently engaged in delicate work. Please wait a moment."

Vera stopped in her tracks at the doorway. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

Although she had seen him a few times in Allen’s dormitory, seeing Ah Fu again here—in this enormous, industrial environment—was an entirely different experience.

She subconsciously stepped inside, her gaze drifting past Ah Fu to the workshop’s interior.

Then, she froze, utterly stunned.

The vast workshop, with its ten-meter-high ceilings, was no longer empty as it had been on her last visit.

Six gray Mechanical Bodies were methodically working at their stations. Some hauled heavy metal ingots, others polished parts, and a few cleaned the floor. Their movements were synchronized and highly efficient, and the entire workshop echoed with the dull, rhythmic hum of machinery.

But that wasn’t what shocked her the most.

In the very center of the assembly area, on a raised platform, a massive metal skeleton was already taking shape.

It was a Steel Giant, standing over four meters tall, with broad shoulders and thick limbs that radiated a sense of power.

Even as a mere skeleton, the sheer oppressive presence it exuded made it hard for Vera to breathe.

She stared up at the behemoth, her mind completely blank.

’So this is what Allen has been... tinkering with in the workshop for the past two months?’

"Vera?"

Allen’s voice came from the side. He took off his goggles and walked out of the work area, still wearing a special dust-proof Wizard Robe.

"Sir will be with you momentarily. Please, come in."

Ah Fu turned and, with elegant strides, walked toward the lounge area to prepare tea, his movements as smooth as flowing water.

Vera snapped back to reality and hurried over to Allen, handing him a document. Her voice trembled with excitement.

"Allen, the... the statements are ready!"

"Alright, let’s sit down and talk." Allen took the file and gestured for her to sit on the sofa in the lounge.

Vera sat down gingerly, perching on the very edge of the sofa. Her eyes couldn’t help but dart back to the massive Golem skeleton.

Allen opened the file. His eyebrows raised slightly as he looked at the figures inside.

"Personalized Academic Path Planning service, first batch of thirty clients. After deducting referral fees, the net income is... 5,200 Low-Level Magic Stones?"

"Yes!" Vera’s cheeks flushed; it was the largest sum of money she had ever handled. "The response to your service among the apprentices has been incredible! A lot of them are saying one session with you is more helpful than a year of studying on their own! There are dozens more people lined up and waiting!"

’Over five thousand Magic Stones!’

’Even with everyone in the Learning Mutual Aid Group working themselves to the bone, their net profit for a month was just over twenty-five hundred.’

’And Allen earned this much just by talking!’

’How is his brain... able to make so much money?’

She looked at Allen’s calm expression, then back at the Steel Giant, and couldn’t stop her voice from trembling as she asked:

"Allen... that... that big thing, how much did it cost?"

Allen set down the report, picked up the black tea Ah Fu had just prepared, and took a sip before speaking slowly.

"For the ’PX-0’ project, material costs have totaled twenty-five thousand, four hundred ninety-one point four."

"The annual rent for the workshop is two thousand."

"And these six auxiliary Mechanical Bodies you see... their material and fabrication costs came to about twenty-four hundred."

Vera’s eyes widened with each word.

With every figure Allen mentioned, her heart sank a little further.

’Twenty-five thousand... plus two thousand... plus another twenty-four hundred...’

’Nearly thirty thousand Low-Level Magic Stones!’

BOOM. Vera felt her mind explode, and the world started to spin.

’Thirty thousand!’

’That’s thirty thousand Low-Level Magic Stones!’

’And in just two months, Allen had turned it all into a pile of... parts?’

’She had just been feeling dizzy over that "huge" sum of over five thousand Magic Stones, but compared to Allen’s expenses, it was practically pocket change.’

’Talk about burning through money—this was the real deal!’

Seeing the look on Vera’s face, Allen put down his teacup and smiled.

He realized that Vera had changed.

She was no longer the somewhat insecure girl who only knew how to bury her head in ledgers.

Now, she wore a well-fitting Apprentice Robe, her hair was neatly styled, her reports were clear and concise, and her eyes shone with a newfound confidence and capability.

"This income of over five thousand Magic Stones," Allen asked suddenly, "what do you think we should do with it?"

"Huh?" Vera froze, not expecting Allen to ask for her opinion.

Her first thought was that all the money should be thrown into the bottomless pit that was Allen’s "PX-0" project.

But Allen’s expression was serious; he wasn’t joking.

Vera’s heart skipped a beat.

She understood. Allen was testing her, training her to be a true manager.

She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing.

’The Learning Mutual Aid Group’s current space is too small. The administrative office and the classrooms are crammed together, and it’s a mess.’

’And as our reputation grows, basic consultation requests are taking up more and more of my and Colin’s time...’

She clenched her fists, mustered her courage, and said, "Allen, I... I have an idea."

"Let’s hear it."

"I was thinking... could we use some of the money to rent a larger space at the academy?" Vera’s words began to flow more smoothly. "We could combine our Learning Mutual Aid Group with our teaching and consulting services to establish... an Apprentice Service Center!"

"A service center?" Allen was intrigued.

"Yes!"

Vera’s eyes lit up. "We’re very well-known now, and a lot of apprentices want to join us. We could package some of the non-essential, more basic academic advising into cheaper service options and delegate that work to the top students under me and Colin. That way, they can earn Magic Stones for their knowledge, and we’ll be freed up to handle more important matters!"

When she finished, she watched Allen nervously, afraid her idea was too childish.

Allen watched her for a few moments, then a look of approval spread across his face.

’She’s really caught on.’

’She’s no longer content with just bookkeeping and management; she’s starting to think about business operations and structural models.’

’A pyramid structure for delegating services, using brand licensing to extend influence downward while filtering for high-value clients and talented individuals.’

’That’s the kind of thinking a professional manager would have.’

"A very good idea."

Allen nodded his approval. "Let’s do it your way. You and Colin will handle the venue and personnel. You draw up a budget and show it to me when it’s ready."

Having received his approval, Vera was so excited her face flushed red.

"However," Allen continued, "this ’Apprentice Service Center’ could have another purpose in the future, besides just consulting."

"What kind of purpose?"

Allen pointed toward the massive steel skeleton in the distance.

"My alchemical products will eventually need a physical showroom and sales channel. Don’t you think?"

His words opened up a whole new world for Vera once again.

She stared blankly at Allen, then at the Steel Giant. She imagined the future "Apprentice Service Center" bustling with people, with all sorts of sophisticated Mechanical Bodies built by Allen on display...

A massive business blueprint began to take shape in her mind.

She felt her heart pounding in her chest, a complex mix of awe, excitement, and boundless aspiration.

Vera left, taking the earnings with her.

’5,200 Magic Stones was just a drop in the bucket for the money-devouring beast before him. It was better to use the funds for asset investment; it might even yield some unexpected returns.’

Allen walked to the base of the PX-0’s skeleton and picked up a Palm Cannon component fresh from the Alchemy Machine. The metal felt cool and heavy in his hand, its surface covered in complex Runes that glowed faintly under the workshop lights.

"The main frame is complete. Next up is the most complicated part: the weapon systems."

His voice echoed through the vast workshop, carrying a barely perceptible trace of excitement.