Card maker? No, I'm a mechanic!

Chapter 157 You're not as hard as me, are you?

"Your eye for talent is even more accurate than your footwork when you were running away back in the day."

The old man took a sip of tea, then slowly added another stab.

When Professor Lin heard the first half of the sentence, he was beaming and about to say a few words of modesty.

But as soon as he uttered the second half of the sentence, his old face immediately fell.

"Senior brother, this happened so many years ago. Please don't bring up my past in front of the younger generation, okay?"

Professor Lin smiled wryly as he refilled the old man's tea.

"Senior brother?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhe immediately formed a plan in his mind.

Someone who could make Professor Lin willingly serve tea, someone who could command the respect of all the leading figures in the room with just a few words.

"This old man's identity is probably among the very top tier of the academic circles in the entire capital."

"No wonder the old man left in such a hurry this morning."

After glancing at Professor Lin, Jiang Zhe suddenly understood.

This is hardly a simple meal to get acquainted; it's clearly happening before the official start of the exchange meeting.

Take advantage of this meal to directly win him over and make him pay his respects!

With this senior's approval, those minor troubles naturally couldn't get in front of him.

"Young man, you're very good."

The old man put down his teacup and nodded slightly to Jiang Zhe.

He then pulled out a card from his sleeve; it was pure black with gold trim.

And gently pushed it in front of him.

"Here's your access card for Imperial Capital Academy. Take it."

The old man paused, his tone calm as if he were simply handing out a regular discount coupon.

"The exchange program is still going on for a while; you can come and check it out if you have time."

"The library and some open courses inside should inspire you."

"However, this card only has a one-month usage period. If your subsequent achievements can't sustain it—"

"Then I'm taking this card back."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Zhe readily accepted the gift with both hands and carefully put it away.

A month of observation is enough; this is truly valuable information, so why not take it?

"Hmm, not arrogant or impatient, you do have the demeanor of a teacher."

Seeing this, the old man nodded in satisfaction.

However, this seemingly insignificant scene caused a huge uproar in the private room.

"hiss----"

The short-haired youth couldn't help but gasp when he saw the black gold card in Jiang Zhe's hand.

A hint of barely concealed jealousy flashed in his eyes.

"That's... a pass to the inner courtyard of the academy?"

He roared inwardly, "Just like that, it's given away? Why should I?"

You should know that ordinary access cards are indeed worthless, and he could easily obtain them given his status as a teacher.

But this black card is different, even if it only has a one-month validity period.

But it also means that he can now access some of the college's materials and experiments that are not open to the public without any hindrance.

This could even mean the initial acceptance by the inner circle!

This highly anticipated genius student had also endured many years of hardship under the professor's tutelage.

That's all I managed to get was a silver-level card.

Why is it that this guy can easily get this kind of privilege just by talking about fixing a broken card?

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

After several rounds of tea, the old man finally got to the main topic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the exchange meeting is about to begin."

"Since everyone is here today, I'll give you a sneak peek."

He picked up his teacup, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and his tone became more serious.

"This time, Star Tower will release a bidding project during the pre-launch promotion."

"The Star Tower project?"

Not only Professor Lin, but everyone present immediately perked up their ears.

"That's right."

The old man paused for a moment, then continued.

"Recent explorations of historical sites around the world, especially in several restricted areas designated as Grade A or above."

"The casualty rate of the exploration teams is rising sharply, so Star Tower needs a completely new solution."

"The bidding content is very broad, but there is only one core demand."

"That is, how to significantly improve the card master's self-survival rate and individual combat ability in complex ruins."

As he spoke, the old man's gaze fell on Jiang Zhe again, his expression meaningful.

"Since you're a skilled little guy with such interesting ideas..."

"Why not give it a try?"

"If we can secure the project, we'll not only win the bounty."

"Moreover, it will also greatly benefit the future development of your Tianlan Academy."

"Individual Survival — Individual Combat Ability —"

Hearing the old man's words, Jiang Zhe remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

This is like a pillow delivered just when you're about to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Professor Lin had clearly thought of something as well. A glint flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

He turned to look at Jiang Zhe, his tone revealing an undisguised smugness.

"Little Jiang, isn't that little toy you came up with before perfect?"

"It's time to show it off and let our peers in the capital city see what we're made of."

"Understood, Elder Lin."

Jiang Zhe smiled slightly, naturally understanding the implication.

The old man was unaware that his floating cannons had now evolved to the point where they could use cheats and become invisible.

But the basic function of the floating cannons.

Features like semi-automatic combat and autonomous exploration are already amazing enough.

In the perilous ruins, this would be the perfect fighting partner.

Stable.

"I definitely won't let you lose face."

The atmosphere at the dinner gradually became more relaxed.

The professors began exchanging academic insights, while the younger members listened quietly from the sidelines.

Of course, not everyone has it so easy.

The goatee professor sitting in the corner, looking at the smug Professor Lin, felt incredibly envious.

He glanced discreetly at Lin Ye, who had been staying beside Professor Lin and whose gender was ambiguous.

With his years of experience in the capital, he naturally recognized the man's other identity.

The adopted daughter of Messevi, the president of the Starshine Merchant Guild!

"That old bastard—"

Professor Goatee cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth.

"When you were young, you relied on Medusa's money to take advantage of the Chamber of Commerce's resources and put yourself in a superior position."

"Now that he's old, not only are his disciples incredibly talented, but he's even managed to keep the heir to Star Glory by his side?"

"Does he expect his entire sect to live off women until they die?"

However, this jealousy and anger only lasted for a moment.

The bitterness in his heart miraculously subsided, and even turned into a sense of superiority.

"Hmph, what's so smug about? You lived off women when you were young, do you expect your apprentice to do the same for the rest of your life?"

"What a pity, times have changed—"

He glanced at the students behind him out of the corner of his eye, and a cold smile crept onto his lips.

"While the Starshine Chamber of Commerce does have some money, my student has just gotten in touch with the young lady of the Cloud Sea Consortium."

"Whether in terms of foundation or military background, the Yunhai Consortium is a behemoth a level above Xinghui!"

"We're more comfortable eating this 'soft rice' than you are!"