Qian Qian Smile: ? 

Su Liqian was somewhat confused by the sudden change in behavior from the major customer on the other side and sent a question mark. 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Big Boss, I need your cards! Have you crafted any new ones recently? Don’t worry, money is not an issue! 

Qian Qian Smile: Sorry, I’ve been quite busy lately, so I haven’t crafted any new cards. How about this: let me know which Illusion World cards you need, and I’ll try to craft a few for you. But right now, there aren’t many Illusion Worlds I can craft cards from, so you’ll have to choose from the ones I can make.

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): ???!!! 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Big Boss, you are too good! You even offer customization services!!! 

Customization? 

Su Liqian had never offered this service before, but she still sent over the names of a few Illusion Worlds. Not long after, she received a speedy reply. 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Wow! Big Boss, you even know about Illustrated World Notes and Strange Tales of the Divine Realm?! Ahhh, you’re a divine boss! 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Big Boss, Big Boss, can I get one A-level card from each of these two Illusion Worlds?! Waaa, I’ve had the simulation spheres for these two worlds for a while but couldn’t craft any useful cards. Now I can finally get a glimpse of your cards! 

Qian Qian Smile: Sure, but a friendly reminder: your understanding of the Illusion World will affect how well the cards perform. If you’re not too familiar with them, you might not be able to fully unlock the cards’ potential. 

Even though Su Liqian knew that the customer was probably an experienced card master and would understand this common knowledge, she still reminded them out of responsibility. 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Waaa, Big Boss is so nice! 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Don’t worry! I’ll make sure to study up! Even if it’s just to use Big Boss’s cards, I’ll make sure to prepare! Hehehe, I’ll surprise my opponent with my new cards! 

Su Liqian was just about to reply when the customer suddenly initiated a transaction. Seeing the number of zeros in the amount, she wisely stayed silent. 

Her customer might have an odd way of thinking, but they were generous. 

Having money is really nice. 

Su Liqian couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. 

It’s true what they say—money can make anything happen. And for her current situation, turning down a deal like this would be foolish. 

Putting rest aside, Su Liqian immediately got to work on crafting the cards. 

Thankfully, she was already pretty experienced with Illustrated World Notes, and quickly created an A-level weapon card. 

After resting to recover a bit of spiritual strength, she moved on to the next card. 

She’d only crafted one card from Strange Tales of the Divine Realm before, so she wasn’t super familiar with it, but she managed to squeeze out an A-level card after some effort. 

“Phew…” 

A few seconds later, a card dropped into her hand. 

It was a B-level function card. 

“Did I fail?” 

Su Liqian didn’t take it too hard. She quietly pulled out another transparent card and continued working. 

This time, everything went smoothly, and she successfully created an A-level function card. 

After arranging both cards neatly on the table, she snapped a picture and sent it to her customer. 

Qian Qian Smile: The cards are ready. Please check and confirm. 

It didn’t take long for the reply to come in. 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): !!! That was so fast! 

Wishful Thinking (Finals Edition): Thanks so much, boss! With your cards, I’m sure I’ll be unstoppable in the tournament! 

Su Liqian was used to her customer’s dramatic way of speaking by now. After the order was confirmed, she packed the two cards and dropped them off at a delivery point. 

With that taken care of, she messaged Ning Yishi. 

Her weekend just freed up, and she planned to visit him for a spiritual strength check-up. 

She’d been meaning to for a while, but the competition schedule had been packed. Now that she finally had a breather, she wanted to check if her spiritual strength fluctuations had changed. 

That self-destruction incident with another contestant was still fresh in her mind—she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. 

Ning Yishi: Got it. I’m free on Saturday. 

He replied shortly after, confirming their meeting. 

The next morning, Su Liqian left early after saying a quick goodbye to Bai Yao and Su Mingyang. 

She’d already planned the safest route—sticking to crowded main roads and using public transportation to get to the Second Star District. 

She had to be cautious. There was a good chance she was still under the mysterious organization’s watch. She couldn’t risk a repeat of what happened last time. 

Even though she’d learned the group’s name from Gu Nianye, it was no surprise that the Star Net had no useful info on them. 

For Su Liqian, this was a huge hidden danger. 

As she walked out of her neighborhood, Su Liqian stayed alert, quietly scanning her surroundings. Her hand clutched the life-saving card tightly. 

If there was a chance, maybe she could ask Ning Yishi about that card too. 

She had just reached the entrance to the community when she caught a familiar figure standing near the gate. 

A man leaned casually against a sleek black hover car, lifting his hand every now and then to check the messages on his communicator. 

“…Captain Gu?” 

Su Liqian recognized him immediately. 

Gu Nianye happened to look up and met Su Liqian’s gaze. He gave her a small nod. 

Just as Su Liqian thought that Gu Nianye might be passing by due to a mission or something, she saw him walk directly toward her. 

“Captain Gu, are you here for me?” 

Gu Nianye was dressed casually in a light-colored shirt today, making him look a lot more approachable than usual. 

“Mm.” 

Gu Nianye nodded. 

“Professor Ning asked me to take you to the Second Star District.” 

He kept it short, then added, “It’s not really safe for you to be out alone right now.” 

Su Liqian understood what he meant right away. 

“Alright, thanks for the help then, Captain.” 

She had been a little worried something might happen on the way, so it was a relief that Ning Yishi had already arranged for Gu Nianye to escort her. 

After confirming with Ning Yishi, she nodded and agreed. With Gu Nianye around, at least she didn’t have to stress about safety. 

Without another word, Gu Nianye turned and walked over to the hover car, opening the door for her. 

The car was a brand-new model—top-of-the-line in comfort and performance. Clearly, this wasn’t his first time driving one. He handled it smoothly, but his speed was… intense. He cleverly maneuvered through all the green lights, reaching their destination at maximum speed. 

For a moment, Su Liqian honestly felt like she was in a racecar. 

“…Captain Gu, do you have something urgent to do?” 

She nearly stumbled getting out of the car but managed to keep her expression calm. 

Gu Nianye finally seemed to realize he had slipped into his usual work mode. A flash of regret and slight embarrassment crossed his face. 

“Ah, sorry. Guess I was driving a bit fast.” 

He quickly looked away and changed the subject. 

“I’m taking you to Xingqi; I also need to see Professor Ning.” 

Su Liqian just nodded and walked into the building with him. 

Gu Nianye clearly knew his way around. He led her straight to Ning Yishi’s lab. 

“Beep—authentication successful.” 

As the mechanical voice sounded and the door slid open, Ning Yishi’s voice came through the intercom inside. 

“I’m in the testing room. You two can come on in.” 

Same place as last time. Su Liqian made her way there easily. 

“Let’s get started.” 

She nodded, then glanced at Gu Nianye, who didn’t seem like he planned to leave. 

“I need to be updated on your test results,” he said. 

Su Liqian fell silent. 

It made sense—given her connection to that mysterious organization and the fact she was one of the rare people who survived after taking the spiritual strength enhancing drug. 

This test result was something Gu Nianye needed. And clearly, this arrangement had Ning Yishi’s silent approval. 

No wonder he “happened” to come pick her up—this was planned. 

Without saying anything else, Su Liqian sat down at the testing device. 

Ning Yishi stared at the monitor, his expression shifting from calm to concerned as he watched the readings. 

“How’s the result, Professor Ning?” 

After a brief scan, Su Liqian stood up and asked.

“Mm… there’s no change in the spiritual strength fluctuation level. But…” 

Ning Yishi paused, “It seems your spiritual strength level has increased.” 

His eyes stayed fixed on the report, like he was trying to dig deeper into what it meant. 

“Huh? Increased?” 

“Yes.” He nodded. “It’s not a big jump, and your overall rank hasn’t changed, but your upper limit seems a bit higher than before.” 

The change was so subtle that it might be hard to notice without careful observation, but Ning Yishi’s keen eye caught it. 

“So… what does that mean?” 

He thought about it for a second, then shook his head. 

“I’m not sure. Might just be a minor fluctuation.” 

He had seen similar cases before, but Su Liqian’s situation was unusual, making it harder to judge. 

“It’s possible I’m overthinking it. Given your spiritual strength fluctuation level, temporary instability in spiritual strength is normal.” 

He reassured her a little and reminded her to keep up with regular checkups. 

Meanwhile, Gu Nianye, who had been silently watching, let his eyes linger on the report. 

“I’ll need to take this report back to the team.” 

Gu Nianye looked at Su Liqian, his statement more of a notice than a question. 

“I understand.” 

Since she had already chosen to be open with the authorities, there was no way to hide these data from them. 

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