Hu Ben: So what if you’re educated, old man?
Little Six: Seems like it’s better than just making safe, steady money. There’s depth in using idioms!
The rest didn’t need much saying from Jiang Fuyue; Hu Ben understood.
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Jiang Fuyue flipped open the second book. “It’s Queen’s.”
Little Six held his breath, feeling like he was back in school, waiting for the teacher to announce his grade. His palms were sweating with excitement and anxiety.
“The profit increase was 0.5% less than King’s, but there were few incidents, and the bodyguards weren’t needed at all. Pretty good.”
Those last two words were like music to Little Six’s ears.
After completing the inspection, the two left.
Once outside, Hu Ben wiped his brow. “Sister Yue’s aura is just too intense.”
Little Six wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. “Makes my heart race. Brother, you feel the same?”
“Not just that—I kind of need the bathroom.”
“… Now that you mention it, I kind of do too.”
The two brothers exchanged a glance and then…
“Let’s go!”
Inside the office.
Liu Jinzhong was reporting on the situation at Camp A to Jiang Fuyue.
“… Liu Sisi’s grasp of theoretical knowledge… um… not great. But she’s got a natural talent for technical skills.”
“Technical skills?” Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. “Tell me more.”
“She’s good at bomb dismantling, gun assembly, planting mines, and demining. She’s especially skilled at dissection.”
“Dissection? Isn’t she bad at theory?”
Liu Jinzhong coughed lightly. “Dissection isn’t exactly a skill that needs theory, as long as it’s not for saving lives. Practice makes perfect.”
Liu Jinzhong noticed her effort, observing each small step.
She wasn’t the brightest, even a bit slow in some areas, like math—she could never solve calculation problems. But that wasn’t something Camp A needed her to master.
“She asked me to pass a message.”
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. “Let’s hear it.”
“She needs a day off to handle some personal matters.”
“Granted.”
Then Jiang Fuyue asked, “How’s Jiang Ke?”
“Two days ago, he breached Karas’s firewall.”
Karas—one of the world’s top three hackers.
“So soon?” Jiang Fuyue was slightly surprised.
Jiang Ke had only joined Camp A a little over half a month ago, and he managed to crack Karas’s defenses.
Liu Jinzhong nodded. “He’s very talented.”
And his temperament is… peculiar.
While Liu Sisi was an effort-based learner, Jiang Ke was pure talent.
Jiang Fuyue ordered, “Assign him a practical mission.”
Liu Jinzhong looked a bit surprised but didn’t object and nodded in agreement.
“He’s still refusing plastic surgery?” Jiang Ke’s face could scare kids at night—who knows what kind of harsh experiences caused such damage?
Liu Jinzhong shook his head.
Jiang Fuyue wasn’t surprised. Geniuses often had tempers.
And Jiang Ke was no exception!
After wrapping up business with Yufeng and discussing Camp A, she finalized the next steps and left.
Seeing that it was still early, she took her gift and headed to the housing district for the teachers of No. 1 High School.
Xu Jing had just woken up from his afternoon nap. He brewed a cup of tea, placed it on the small table on the balcony, and settled comfortably into a single rocking chair. His phone was playing the Peking opera Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, and he hummed along, nodding his head and swaying gently.
He couldn’t have been more at ease.
The story was reaching an exciting part, and he was fully engrossed. He didn’t even notice when the door opened, and his wife brought someone inside.
When the scene finished, he picked up his teacup and took a sip. The Chinese quince floating in the water bobbed up and down. “Wife—add some hot water for me!”
Before long, the water came.
The kettle poured steaming water into his open teacup with a soft whooshing sound, adding to the relaxing atmosphere of the afternoon.
Xu Jing bobbed his head, tapped his fingers in rhythm, and even started tapping his toes with energy.
Half-closing his eyes, he reached out for the teacup and took a sip.
Jiang Fuyue smiled and asked, “Teacher Xu, is the temperature okay?”
“It’s fine—cough, cough, cough!”
Xu Jing bolted upright. “Why—why is it you?!”
He immediately broke into a fit of violent coughing.
It took a while before he recovered. His wife stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching him coldly. “Pathetic!”
And to think he had the nerve to order her to pour water. In his dreams!
Jiang Fuyue kept her smile, looking innocent and sincere. “I just returned to the country yesterday and wanted to visit you today.”
Such a thoughtful child! Mrs. Xu’s eyes filled with fondness she could barely contain.
She came home only yesterday, yet today she was visiting her teacher, even refilling his tea. On top of that, she was talented, beautiful, and well-mannered. Simply perfect.
Xu Jing quickly set down his teacup and got up from the rocking chair. In his haste, he stumbled and nearly fell.
Mrs. Xu couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Jiang Fuyue’s expression said, I’m trying very hard to keep a straight face.
Once inside the living room, Mrs. Xu brought out a fruit platter while Xu Jing, now seated on the sofa, asked about the details of the two competitions.
Jiang Fuyue highlighted the key points, mentioning Chiba Tosaki at one point. Xu Jing paused in surprise.
“The one from that family in R-country?”
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. “You know about them?”
It wasn’t surprising that Yan Zhenfeng and Qin Libin knew. After all, they had been leading IPhO teams for years and were familiar with every prodigy, eccentric, and genius in the international community.
But Xu Jing was focused on mathematical Olympiads and lived in relative seclusion in Linhuai.
“There’s a math prodigy in their family, and in the previous generation, there were also people with exceptional mathematical talent.”
As he spoke, a hint of melancholy and regret flickered in Xu Jing’s eyes.
The previous generation…
That must mean someone from Xu Jing’s own age group. Clearly, there was a story there.
Instead of probing, Jiang Fuyue pulled out the gifts she brought for him.
“What’s this?”
“A few small trinkets and snacks from D- and E-country.”
She’d packed them in a large gift bag, which was quite heavy.
Xu Jing was touched. All his earlier frustration evaporated.
Such a considerate kid, bringing him gifts even after an international competition.
“Yueyue, have some fruit. Mind if I call you that?” Mrs. Xu offered with a warm smile.
“I don’t mind. You look so young, Mrs. Xu.”
“How can I be young?! I’m over forty!”
“You look barely in your thirties. I thought Teacher Xu had married a younger woman!”
Mrs. Xu beamed and hugged Jiang Fuyue as if she were her own daughter.
“You’re so sweet! Have an apple.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Xu,” Jiang Fuyue accepted it graciously.
There was one piece of apple left. Xu Jing was about to take it when his wife’s look made him back off. “Leave it for Yueyue.”
Xu Jing thought, Whose wife is she, anyway?
After finishing the apple, Jiang Fuyue prepared to leave.
Mrs. Xu brought out a set of skincare products. “My nephew brought these from H-country recently. There are two sets, and I can’t finish them all. Take one for your mom.”
It was premium skincare.
Jiang Fuyue accepted it with thanks.
Before leaving, Mrs. Xu added, “You’re already so outstanding. If you were a bit older, I’d gift you the whole set! But your skin’s perfect as is. Just remember to use sunscreen to protect against aging.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Xu. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Come by anytime!”
Xu Jing, watching her look down the hall, said, “Alright, she’s gone.”
Reluctantly, Mrs. Xu shut the door.
Xu Jing muttered, “She’s a high schooler, and you’re teaching her skincare? Is that appropriate?”
“How is it inappropriate? With how exceptional Yueyue is, her knowledge base is already incredibly rich. Honestly, between you and her, who’s teaching whom is still up for debate…”
Xu Jing felt a bit guilty.
He recalled that Olympiad proof problem from before, and then the iterative reasoning problem from last time, and the analytic geometry problem from the time before that… It always seemed like Jiang Fuyue solved them first. He’d only reviewed her answers before presenting them in class as examples.
Ah, d*mn it!
Mrs. Xu added, “A good student should be well-rounded. What’s wrong with skincare? Skincare is an eternal topic for women!”
“…”
Xu Jing decided not to respond to that and instead eagerly went to unwrap the gift.
What goodies had the little one brought him this time?
A set of nesting dolls, some chocolates…
Oh, wow! There was even a whole bottle of vodka! This was amazing!
Mrs. Xu came over as well and casually picked up a box from the pile. It was covered in German text, so she couldn’t make out what it was.
She pulled out her phone, opened a translation app, and her expression turned… peculiar.
Xu Jing, still holding the vodka with glee, leaned over, thinking it must be another great item.
The next second, his face darkened—
Effect: Enhances vitality and kidney health, remarkable therapeutic benefits.
