Chapter 37: 37. Open the Squid Ink Picture Book
Translator: 549690339
Lin Zichen led Shen Qinghan home and as soon as they entered, they saw the principal of the senior high school department at Shanhai High School.
The principal was a middle-aged woman with gold-rimmed glasses, her hair done up high, and dressed in a neat ladies’ suit, giving off a very capable air.
“Xiao Chen, Han Han, come over and sit here, and have a good chat with Principal Bai.”
Seeing both kids had arrived, Zhang Wanxin immediately waved them over to sit down on the couch.
Soon, Lin Zichen sat down opposite the female principal.
He was well aware that the visit from the principal was for recruitment purposes, so after a brief chat with her, he decided to get straight to the point and asked:
“Principal Bai, I am personally inclined towards advancing directly to the high school department, but I have a small request. I’d like to continue being in the same class as my childhood friend here. Do you think that would be possible?”
“Of course, no problem!”
The principal answered without hesitation.
She had already discussed with Principal Chen of the junior high department before and knew that Lin Zichen would make such a small request.
And she had also familiarized herself with everything about Shen Qinghan beforehand.
Her academic grades were very good; it was only because her biometric attributes were slightly lacking that she hadn’t been able to get into the elite martial arts class.
For a student whose grades weren’t terribly poor like hers, granting her a favor wasn’t a big issue.
After a simple conversation like this.
Eventually, both Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan confirmed their enrollment in the high school department at Shanhai High School, same as before, in the same class.
The only difference was that Shen Qinghan was not as happy as she had been during the transition from elementary to middle school.
Both times were through favors, but when she found out she would go to the same school and be in the same class and desk as Lin Zichen in the transition to middle school, she was overjoyed.
Now, during the transition to high school, she felt more embarrassed, self-conscious, and disheartened.
As she grew older, Shen Qinghan had come to realize that securing favors like this was actually quite disgraceful.
Yet, time and again, she had to rely on pulling strings to keep up with Lin Zichen in the same class and at the same desk.
This made her feel useless, like an oversized baby who could only depend on others.
Several days later.
In the gymnasium of the junior high school of Shanhai High School.
Guo Xiangyuan, who was the coach of the Martial Arts Team, was sternly training the twenty-six members.
Previously, the Martial Arts Team was not valued by the school leaders, and there were fewer members, so he lacked enthusiasm for training, basically leaving them in a free-range state.
But ever since Lin Zichen joined the Martial Arts Team and took it to new heights, everything changed.
School leaders started to value the Martial Arts Team.
And there were more students wanting to join the Martial Arts Team.
All these changes made him more responsible and determined to manage the Martial Arts Team well.
“Hello, Captain!”
“Hello, Captain!”
“Hello, Senior Shen!”
No sooner had Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan set foot inside the gym than the team members, who were training inside, all stopped to greet them.
Even Guo Xiangyuan, the coach, switched from his stern expression to a smile and said, “Zi Chen, Xiao Shen, there’s tea prepared on the table; it’s at the right temperature now, so sit down and have a cup first.”
“No need, I just came to use a yoga mat for a bit, I’ll be leaving soon.”
After dropping that line, Lin Zichen casually picked up a yoga mat and laid it down in a corner to help Shen Qinghan stretch her muscles.
Shen Qinghan had just finished training on the athletic field outside and was now sore all over, terribly tired. As soon as she saw the yoga mat laid out on the floor, she collapsed on it, entirely exhausted.
She then skillfully spread her legs apart to allow Lin Zichen to knead the muscles in her legs.
After several years of exercise, Shen Qinghan’s physical condition had greatly improved, and her bodily proportions looked much more perfect.
Take her legs, for instance; they used to be straight, slender “chopstick legs” with little flesh on them, lacking a bit of aesthetic appeal.
But now, her legs had more flesh and had become fuller, feeling better to touch, and at the same time, her legs appeared healthier and more attractive.
“Xiao Chen, you can press a bit harder on the thigh,” she said.
“Alright.”
“No, no, that’s too hard, it hurts!”
“How about now?”
“Now it’s just right.”
Shen Qinghan lay relaxed on the yoga mat, closed her eyes to rest and relieve fatigue, while enjoying the appropriately vigorous kneading from Lin Zichen.
About half an hour later.
The massage was over.
Shen Qinghan stood up from the yoga mat, stretching languidly with a satisfied expression on her face.
Then, looking down at Lin Zichen sitting beside her, she said with a smile, “Xiao Chen, it’s your turn to enjoy my massage techniques. Lie down quickly.”
“Remember to put some muscle into it.”
“No problem, I’ll satisfy all your needs!”
“Then let’s start with my calves.”
As he spoke, Lin Zichen lay down, allowing Shen Qinghan’s delicate hands to serve his body well.
One month later.
The date was August 1st.
Lin Zichen, who had been with the Martial Arts Team for three years, faced his third eight-school tournament.
In this competition, like the two before, he single-handedly broke through the opposing school’s forces alone.
Conquering three rounds in a row, he claimed the championship with an undefeated streak.
After receiving his share of the prize money.
Lin Zichen immediately went to the mall to find the landlord uncle who would buy things on his behalf.
The Phantom Squid album was just 20% away from being unlocked, and with 20,000 yuan in hand from the prize money, he could unlock it today.
Soon.
The Phantom Squid Meat purchased on his behalf was in his possession.
Lin Zichen left the mall and hurried to a small wooded area without surveillance cameras, impatiently starting to devour.
[You have consumed a large amount of the “Phantom Squid’s” essence]
[Phantom Squid Album: 100%]
After the text appeared, a blue squid slowly materialized in the void, leisurely swimming through the void’s ocean, contented and undisturbed.
This was a Phantom Squid.
It had 18 tentacles.
Each tentacle bore an eye.
It looked quite bizarre and peculiar.
Suddenly, as if the Phantom Squid sensed Lin Zichen’s gaze, it plunged into the depths of the void ocean and disappeared without a trace in an instant.
At the same time, new text emerged in the void.
[You have successfully unlocked the Phantom Squid album and gained the Biometric Attribute——Fortune of Melding with Water]
[Fortune of Melding with Water: Greatly enhances your affinity with water, allowing you to move freely in it, coming and going without a trace]
Is this it?
After reading the description of the attribute, Lin Zichen’s first thought was that the effect of the Fortune of Melding with Water seemed somewhat lackluster.
Being meticulous, he immediately found the nearest swimming pool to experience the effects of the Fortune of Melding with Water.
He soaked in the pool for a full three hours.
In the end, he determined that the attribute Fortune of Melding with Water had the following effects:
First: Skin doesn’t wrinkle as before after long immersion in water.
Second: Soaking in water feels very comfortable.
Third: There’s a noticeable reduction in water resistance while swimming.
Beyond that, there were no other effects.
Lin Zichen felt somewhat disappointed with this; the effect of the Fortune of Melding with Water was far inferior compared to attributes like Regression, Sagacious Root, and Law of the Jungle.
However, upon further thought, it was normal for the effects to be inferior.
After all, Phantom Squids are a low-level Exotic Beasts with only edible value and no value for Genetic Fusion.
Correspondingly, the Biometric Attribute obtained from unlocking its album would also be low-level.
To gain a higher-level Biometric Attribute, one would likely need to consume the high-level Exotic Beasts used for Genetic Fusion.
With that in mind, Lin Zichen came to terms with it.
After all, acquiring the Fortune of Melding with Water Biometric Attribute for just 100,000 yuan was a very good deal and there was no reason to be disappointed.
To obtain better Biometric Attributes, he would save money and purchase them over time; they would be his eventually.
Or perhaps, when his strength improved in the future, he would go and hunt wild Exotic Beasts to devour.
For instance, the giant Exotic Rats nearest to him… Lin Zichen suddenly considered boldly.
PS: Begging for monthly and recommendation tickets!
