Today, I need to make another trip to Nanjing, so the updates might not be enough. I'll make up for it on Saturday when I'm back.

...

Qin Fang had already explained everything very clearly over the phone, and Chen Jiangnan, having been in the business world for so many years, could not possibly have misunderstood.

To put it bluntly, Qin Fang was looking for a sucker to fund the laboratory on his behalf, and right now, Chen Jiangnan was that sucker.

Chen Jiangnan could choose to refuse, but refusal came with its costs. That would mean the lithium battery improvement project would have nothing to do with him, Chen, ever again.

The prospect of this lithium battery improvement project was genuinely promising. If it could be successfully developed, the profits would certainly be astronomical.

Chen Jiangnan's net worth was in the tens of millions, but even that sum only qualified him as modestly wealthy, and even in Ninghai, he was considered average at best. It was like when he went to the Elite Salon; Chen Jiangnan barely met the criteria for entry.

But for those billionaires, it was a different story entirely. They held higher-tier VIP cards, enjoyed better treatment, and mingled with other wealthy tycoons or high-ranking officials—privileges that Chen Jiangnan lacked and was not yet qualified to engage with.

The emergence of this project was, undeniably, an opportunity for Qin Fang to strike it rich, and for Chen Jiangnan, it was a tremendous opportunity as well. Whether he could grasp it depended on his willingness to invest the necessary funds.

"Xiao Qin, leave this matter to me. I'll give you an answer soon..."

Chen Jiangnan didn't even take long to consider before he took a deep breath and gave Qin Fang a relatively affirmative response. As for what to do next, both of them were already very clear about it in their minds.

Although some tension had arisen between the two, it did not affect the overall situation. Besides, their relationship had not reached a very close level; it was purely a partnership.

Qin Fang felt no psychological burden whatsoever. Chen Jiangnan was free to look for someone else to try and get something for nothing. If he thought Qin Fang was easy to fool because of his youth, he was sorely mistaken.

"What's up? You seem to have run into some good fortune..."

Seeing Qin Fang hang up the phone and a relieved, joyful smile appear on his face, Tang Feifei might not have noticed, but Xiao Muxue did, and she immediately asked softly.

"It's nothing, just heard some good news!"

Qin Fang shook his head and briefly explained. As for what the good news was, he truly had no intention of sharing, and Muxue, being considerate, knew what she should and shouldn't inquire about, promptly remaining silent. Sometimes the tacit understanding between her and Qin Fang was indeed very good.

The musical instrument for Muxue had already been picked, a very ordinary flute, with a price to match. It was practically half-sold and half-given away, mainly because Qin Fang had solved a bothersome issue for the music store. Moreover, the flute wasn't worth much, so the store owner could have easily decided to give it away for free. However, Qin Fang's party still symbolically paid some money for it.

The issue of custody over Lin Hai's daughter Weiwei was easily resolved with Ning Yumo's intervention, to the extent that Fang Mei had not even left the police station before the matter was settled. Naturally, Qin Fang called Lin Hai to share the good news, and over the phone, he could even hear the sound of Lin Hai, the tough man, holding his daughter and crying out in pain, which showed how terribly he and his daughter had been tormented by Fang Mei over the years.

Lin Hai might be called weak or incompetent, but some matters were truly beyond his ability to fight against.

Regardless, the issue was finally resolved smoothly, and everyone including Qin Fang, Tang Feifei, and Xiao Muxue couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As for Lin Hai's expressed desire to treat them to dinner as a sign of gratitude, Qin Fang tactfully declined, merely suggesting that there might be opportunities for cooperation in the future. This also laid some necessary groundwork for Chen Jiangnan approaching Ninghai Polytechnic University Affiliated Research Institute. Lin Hai would understand in time.

"It's getting late; we should go for dinner..."

Looking at the sky, the class meeting in the afternoon took a while, and they spent quite some time at the musical instrument store, using up most of the afternoon. Seeing that it was already dark, it indeed was time for dinner.

"Let's go to the store, and check in on Wen Yi while we're at it..."

Tang Feifei suggested after thinking for a moment, which surprised Qin Fang a little.

In his memory, when they first saw Wen Yi, they showed considerable hostility, even suspecting that Wen Yi was a mistress that Qin Fang kept on the side. However, after chatting for a good part of the previous night, their relationship seemed to have become very close.

Qin Fang sneakily glanced at his Skill panel and found Wen Yi's skill data under the apprenticeship relationship. Sure enough, there was already a small amount of progress, indicating that she hadn't been slacking off during that day.

"Oh, right, Feifei, how's that thing I asked you to handle last time?"

Speaking of Wen Yi, Qin Fang suddenly remembered something and casually asked.

"I've already asked Sister Ning to handle it. It should be done very soon..."

Tang Feifei hadn't forgotten about this task, but still needed to bother Ning Yumo with it, as she was the most suitable person to approach for this matter.

"What's this all about? So secretive..." Xiao Muxue, not quite aware of the matter Qin Fang had Tang Feifei deal with, asked casually.

"Wen Yi's ID documents, they were confiscated by those people. Qin Fang wanted to reduce the trouble, so I asked Sister Ning to reprocess them..."

This wasn't exactly an unmentionable secret, but Xiao Muxue couldn't be of much help with it, so Qin Fang and Tang Feifei had never mentioned it to her. Although it did leave Xiao Muxue feeling a bit down, she had to accept this fact.

When Qin Fang and the others arrived at Fang Feixue, it was at the busiest time of business. Everyone was hard at work, even Uncle Fang, who was normally responsible for handling the cash at the counter, occasionally had to play the role of a waiter, showing just how good the restaurant's business was.

The three of them arrived and hadn't even managed to have a bite to eat before they were roped into helping out as temporary waitstaff, until the number of customers finally began to dwindle, and they were famished. Only then could they sit down to a hot meal.

Although Wen Yi's food and accommodation were provided by the restaurant, she seemed to be particularly frugal and wasn't comfortable taking too much advantage of the restaurant's provisions, so she never ate much during meal times there.

Additionally, she generally had a weaker constitution, and after rushing throughout the day, Qin Fang noticed her complexion had turned somewhat pale.

"Wen Yi, you're my apprentice. It's okay for you to do some work in the kitchen, and if it's really busy out front, you can lend a hand there too. But your main task is to learn how to make sauces as quickly as possible. I'm counting on you to take over for me someday so I can retire with my achievements!"

Qin Fang was aware of Wen Yi's hard work, so in front of Uncle Fang, Qin Fang spoke in this way, which was a kind of support for her, but not overly obvious.

Qin Fang didn't care how much work Wen Yi did for the restaurant; what he cared about was how much proficiency she gained in cooking skills. If he didn't want to attract criticism, he would have even considered letting Wen Yi focus solely on improving her cooking skills.

Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue were already quite familiar with Wen Yi, and upon hearing what Qin Fang had said, naturally, they also helped to persuade Wen Yi, chatting away with someone their own age.

Just then, Qin Fang's phone suddenly rang, and he took it out.

"Fan Ning?"

Seeing the caller ID, Qin Fang was slightly surprised. It seemed that he had just had a falling out with the beautiful and sexy Teacher Fan in the afternoon. Why would she be calling him now?

"I want to see what tricks you're up to now."

Honestly, Qin Fang didn't have much affection for Fan Ning. Such a woman gave him an extremely unreal feeling, which made him particularly cautious around her.

Although he found it odd, he still pressed the answer button.

"Qin Fang, save... save me..."

As soon as the call connected, Qin Fang was just about to speak, but then he heard a series of hurried breaths from the other end, along with Fan Ning's strained voice, accompanied by odd gasping sounds.

"Where are you?"

Qin Fang's initial thought was that Fan Ning was up to some trick again, but the strange gasping convinced him otherwise, so he asked this question.

"B... Block 3... Room 301, click"

It sounded like Fan Ning had used all her strength to get these words out, and then there was a clicking noise, as if the phone had hit something, and the call was abruptly disconnected.

"Qin Fang, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue had been happily chatting with Wen Yi, who had become a lot cheerier, but when Tang Feifei turned around, she noticed Qin Fang's complexion was off, and she asked worriedly, having also heard the recent call.

"Something's come up; I need to go first..."

Qin Fang hesitated for a moment but still told Tang Feifei, then turned back as he began to step out and added, "If I don't get back to pick you up and it's getting late, the three of you should squeeze in at the restaurant!"

"Don't worry, I know! Go take care of your things!"

Although Tang Feifei could be temperamental at times, she was usually very understanding, and immediately nodded, seeing Qin Fang off.

"Where did Qin Fang go?"

On her return, Xiao Muxue asked.

"I'm not sure, but it seems like something happened. His complexion didn't look right..." Tang Feifei didn't hide anything and just spoke the truth.

"Oh, I hope it's nothing bad."

Xiao Muxue nodded. She was quite curious about Qin Fang's affairs, but considering her awkward position, it was fine to ask Qin Fang, but not Tang Feifei, so she decided not to inquire further. (To be continued, if you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. There are more chapters and support for the author and legitimate reading!)

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