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Seeing Qingque agree, Sylvester smiled. "Wait just a moment."
He then turned to Lingsha. "If you would. Perfect time to test whether the machine still works."
"It truly is a solution pleasing to both sides. For me to survive today without disaster, I owe everything to you, Young Master Sylvester. I shall repay you generously in the future."
Now that the situation had taken a turn for the better, Lingsha felt deeply grateful. Even her form of address changed to Young Master Sylvester. She drifted gracefully into a bow, offering a serious, formal thanks.
Sylvester gave a mild smile. "Then I won't hold back. I hope I won't have to wait too long."
"Of course not."
Lingsha gave a sweet smile, then leaned over the counter and activated the machine.
Though she was still angry about the trouble the device had caused, there was no point dwelling on it now.
She entered the pill-making menu. Only sixty energy points remained inside—enough to make a single prescription.
She glanced over the screen at Qingque.
Whether the side effects would be mild or disastrous… that would depend on her luck.
Her slender fingers tapped across the keyboard, then she followed the prompts, inserting the required medicinal materials before entering the refining program.
About ten minutes later, the machine's treasure box chimed with a ding.
The lid popped open with a light clack, revealing a neatly wrapped paper packet tied tightly with blue string and sealing paper.
As for the side effects…
Sylvester and Lingsha both looked at the line of text on the screen and nodded together.
It was acceptable enough.
[Absolute Failure Prescription]
(After consumption):loses the past one hour of memory.
(Side effect):retains perfect memory of all unpleasant things for the rest of the day.
Sylvester took the packet and handed it to Qingque. "Eat this and you'll be free. Just keep in mind that afterward, anything you dislike will stick in your memory—but only for the day."
"Hm… alright."
Qingque sighed and reached for the medicine.
What terrible luck she'd had lately. First Fu Xuan promoted her, and now this.
This had to be rock bottom.
She opened the packet. Inside was a dark, ominous medicinal cake—at first glance it looked like a slab of chocolate, but the unsettling aura it emitted made her skin crawl.
Gulp.
She swallowed hard, then steeled herself and took a large bite.
But the moment her tongue touched it, the medicine seemed to come alive. It dissolved into sticky streams that flooded her mouth, bound her tongue, and fought to pour down her throat.
"Mmmgh—mmf!" Qingque panicked at the sudden invasion.
But with her mouth sealed shut, she couldn't utter a single proper word.
Just as she tried to cry for help, her mind went completely blank. Her body stiffened—then collapsed backward.
Thump.
Sylvester caught her neatly, one arm supporting her back, the other under her knees, lifting the unconscious Qingque into a bridal carry.
He laid her gently onto the lounge bench in the rest area.
Turning back, he said, "Alright. It's all handled."
Lingsha looked at the machine beside her, feeling complicated.
The thing had caused enormous trouble… yet its effects were undeniably impressive.
She had expected the side effects to sabotage everything, likely forcing them into a painful dilemma.
But unexpectedly… the matter really had been resolved this neatly?
Experiencing the true utility of the chaos prescriptions for the first time, Lingsha felt her initial enthusiasm rushing back.
With this device, she might be able to obtain countless miraculous medicines.
Perhaps even something capable of stabilizing treatment for Mara-Struck symptoms.
And if their luck stayed this good, then her previous estimate—that top-tier medicines might only reach the thousands—had been far too pessimistic.
If they could reach the tens of thousands, then the Alchemy Commission would easily reclaim its former glory, perhaps even surpass the other five divisions entirely!
"To obtain such treasures… Lingsha is endlessly grateful. On behalf of the entire Alchemy Commission, I thank Young Master Sylvester once again."
This time, Lingsha bowed deeply, twice in a row.
"I am also a general of Luofu. How could I ignore a subordinate in distress?"
Given her formality, Sylvester responded with equal seriousness, receiving the bow with steady composure.
Then he added modestly, "As for the Curio—that was your own luck. I simply sell what I'm given. No need to thank me for that."
He paused, feeling that such seriousness didn't quite fit his usual style.
So, he deliberately joked, "Oh, but about that 'generous repayment' you mentioned earlier. That one's an exception."
Lingsha couldn't help a small laugh. Remembering the special fragrance she had to create, her cheeks flushed. She pressed her lips together and murmured softly, "Young Master Sylvester will not be disappointed."
She put away her rewards, stepped out from behind the counter, and took one final look at the place where only Sylvester had spent so many days.
She said, "I stole time from my work to visit today. The Commission is busy, and with so many new Curios to handle, I must return. I shan't disturb you further."
Hearing this, Sylvester nodded. He raised a hand and dispelled the earlier seal. "Go ahead. You're welcome here anytime."
"Mhm."
Lingsha nodded and left the trash-can shop.
…
"Uuuhh…"
Qingque yawned and slowly opened her eyes.
Hm? Hadn't she already gotten up once today?
Sitting up groggily, she squinted at the unfamiliar light. Then she snapped awake.
Since when did her bedroom have a window in front of the bed?
She looked around and finally realized she was lying on the long bench inside the Curio Trash Cans Shop—covered with a blanket.
What happened? Why was she here?
"Hey, you're awake?"
Hearing the voice, Qingque turned and met Sylvester's smiling eyes.
After confirming Sylvester hadn't done anything bad to someone as adorable and clever as herself, she stared at him with a head full of question marks. "Why am I sleeping here? Did I lose my memory?"
Sylvester, worried she might recover her memories, followed along and guided her down the wrong path. "Exactly. Fu Xuan fired you, you ended up homeless, and you came to crash on my shop's bench."
"Uu…"
He hadn't expected his joke to hit her right in the heart. Her face twisted with pain. "If only that were true."
"Before going to the Xianzhou Yuque to visit her family, Lady Fu Xuan dumped a mountain of work on me! Do you know what everyone at the Divination Commission calls me now? Acting Deputy Master Diviner! I'd rather sleep on the streets!"
Sylvester stared at her, speechless.
Was… this a new form of humble-bragging?
Anyone else would rejoice at such an opportunity—but Qingque would rather be a beggar?
If Fu Xuan heard this, Qingque would be dead.
But to avoid exposing anything, he kept the bluff going. "Makes sense—you suddenly fell asleep standing in my shop today. Must've been the exhaustion."
"Exactly!"
Thinking of the endless paperwork nightmare, Qingque accepted the explanation without a hint of suspicion.
"Oh! And that reminds me!" She slapped a fist into her palm. "I came here today because I want you to get me a universe-level, unbeatable top-tier intelligent AI—with a mechanical body! One that can help me work flawlessly!"
"What's with that request?"
Seeing her so proud of her plan to slack off, Sylvester chuckled helplessly. "Whether you get one depends entirely on luck. I won't bend the rules just because we're close. And weren't you the one who claimed you never participate in anything related to gambling?"
"Of course!"
Qingque hopped off the bench with pride. "Before today, I've never spent a single Credit on card games. So, it doesn't count as gambling!"
"And now? Heh heh…" She put her hands on her hips, looking even prouder. "Rules are meant to be broken!"