「Three days later,」 Wang Linchi received his third-level subsidy with no issues. Though the amount seemed astronomical to him, it was just a drop in the bucket for the entire Prefecture.
And with the dean's endorsement, naturally, there was no problem.
"So you're planning to exchange two Good Level Soul Kind for 20,000 Excellent Level ones." Hearing this, the dean was surprised but shook his head. "There are no precedents for this."
"I wish to exchange ten Good Level Soul Kind for 50,000 Excellent Level ones. The dean can choose the ones I am giving, but I'd also like to choose from the academy's Excellent Level Soul Kind, especially combat-related ones," Wang Linchi remarked, his voice steady.
"Why are you even increasing the quantity?" The dean found the offer genuinely tempting.
Fifty thousand Excellent Level Soul Kind might seem like a lot, but to the academy, they were indeed just a drop in the bucket.
Every single day, the combat students produced about 10,000 of these Excellent Level ones, while Good Level Soul Kind were fewer, with only about a dozen produced in more than a day.
What was more crucial was that the dean grasped Wang Linchi's intent: ten Good Level Soul Kind would land in his hands, and the expenditure would come from the academy's public account.
The value of ten Good Level Soul Kind was ten million, which might seem like a lot, but the calculation wasn't so straightforward.
The thing about Soul Kind is you can't buy them even if you have the resources, especially Good Level ones.
Moreover, ten million was just the lowest rate quoted by the Court for buying them back. In the black market or a private trade, you wouldn't even get one for one hundred million.
"I'm just making a contribution, and I hope the dean can be understanding. After all, Good Level Soul Kind aren't very useful to me. It would be more suitable for me to start my research with Excellent Level ones," Wang Linchi added, politeness in his tone.
This kind of exchange was undoubtedly detrimental, but he had no choice but to make it, as he didn't have much use for Good Level Soul Kind at present.
"Alright, since you're sincere about it, I won't let you suffer. I'll exchange your ten Good Level Soul Kind for 100,000 Excellent Level ones." The dean was quite generous, especially since it wasn't his personal expenditure. He agreed readily. After all, they were just talking about a mere 100,000 Soul Kind, and the academy's storage had tons of these Soul Kind piling up.
The Court would be collecting the Soul Kind only after three months. The deficiency of a trivial 100,000 in the account could be easily filled in a few days.
"Then thank you very much, Dean. I'd also like to use one Good Level Soul Kind to exchange for some White Porcelain level cultivation resources. I wonder if you have any to spare," Wang Linchi proposed another trade.
Devoid of resources, his spiritual power had stagnated over the past several days, stuck at just over 24 points. Reaching 25 would take at least a year, or even several years.
Yet with resources, his progress would resume its normal pace, rather than be stuck at a bottleneck.
"Sure, send your list over, and we'll deliver them. We'll make sure you're satisfied." The dean was pleased once again.
The exchange of a Good Level Soul Kind for White Porcelain level cultivation resources was nothing short of a jackpot for him.
He even contemplated trying to extract more Good Level Soul Kind from Linchi, as keeping them wasn't ideal. However, he quickly abandoned this thought. He was banking on the merits of Wang Linchi's research to take him further in his career.
Being a dean is all well and good, but it pales in comparison to holding substantial power in the Court.
"Thank you so much, Dean. You've been so helpful." Wang Linchi wore a grateful expression.
With that said, he hurriedly took out ten Good Level Soul Kind—none of them from the Soul, Spirit, or Soul series—and handed them over to the dean. "Dean, this is a small token of my appreciation; it doesn't mean much. I'm really grateful for all your help, especially with the running around. Consider this a little tea money to soothe your throat."
It wasn't that Wang Linchi wanted to give these, but that he had to; it was his protection fee.
If the dean accepted it, then if something happened to Wang Linchi in the future, he could ask for his help. However, this would only cover minor issues; the dean wouldn't back him up in a major crisis.
Having already accepted two portions, the dean felt no pressure at all. He responded, "Oh dear, this is too courteous; I feel so embarrassed."
However, he swiftly pocketed the Soul Kind without any hesitation.
He was quite impressed by Wang Linchi's tact and offered his assurance, "Wang, if you encounter any research issues and need help along the way, do come to me for assistance. I will do my best."
"Absolutely, I won't let the Dean's expectations down," Wang Linchi agreed, echoing the Dean's words.
Given his situation, there was no chance he would offend any big shot, so the Dean was likely to rally behind him for the most part.
Once he reached Black Iron Level and acquired the relevant Soul Skills for self-protection, he could then exploit the black market. He would then have to think about creating an additional source of wealth so that he wouldn't remain at the mercy of the Dean alone.
Though it sounded simple, executing it was far from easy.
After some more flattery, Wang Linchi took his leave with his things.
He didn't have to worry about people discovering his riches. The Soul Kind were placed in a special box that shielded them from detection, and he then placed the box in his bag. Only an Elite Gold Level Awakener would be able to sense them. However, there were only two known Elite Gold Level Awakeners in Qinghe City: the Prefect Magistrate and the dean, though there could be a few hidden ones.
As for the 100,000 Excellent Level Soul Kind, Wang Linchi would choose first, and then the Dean would personally deliver them to him. Since there were so many, it would take some time.
I can't just keep collecting them in the usual way; I need extra channels for acquiring them.
Wang Linchi knew that once he perfected his own truncated Good Level Soul Kind, the resources needed to evolve it to Epic Level were far beyond his current access.
Not to mention, just for the evolution, he'd need 4x99 Good Level Soul Kind. Furthermore, evolving the Soul Kind's affix effects and installing new ones would require an even larger quantity of Soul Kind.
Relying on research to elevate his standing was not feasible, so he needed to gain enough power. In this world where martial prowess was paramount, having no power wasn't an option.
I need to take it step by step.
I wonder how Mo Yan's trip to the black market is going and if he managed to buy the necessary Soul Kind.
Wang Linchi had no intention of gifting Mo Yan Soul Kind. Even though he had many, their relationship wasn't that close; at best, they were just casual friends.
He was just keen on getting some information about the black market from him to prepare for when he broke into Black Iron Level.
Without sufficient preparation, Wang Linchi did not intend to take risks. And even though it was challenging, it was far safer than risking his life.
But this is also too hard, Wang Linchi thought, slightly exasperated.
If he chose not to strive, his comfortable existence would continue, especially now that he had even more Good Level Soul Kind than before. Selling them could facilitate an easy life.
Regrettably, his mindset now was completely different from before.