Card maker? No, I'm a mechanic!

"Forget it, it's best to avoid doing things that are too embarrassing."

Jiang Zhe shook his head, dismissing the idea.

"The only thing we can do is go to the infirmary. Hopefully, she won't be able to treat it so quickly."

Having made up his mind, Jiang Zhe no longer hesitated. He changed into clean clothes and went downstairs straight to his target.

……

The infirmary and VIP care area of ​​Tianlan Academy.

It's less of a medical clinic and more of a highly private sanatorium.

The corridor was covered with thick carpets, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance, completely lacking the pungent smell of disinfectant.

"Hello, could you please tell me which ward Suman is in?"

Jiang Zhe stopped a nurse carrying a tray, giving her a polite smile.

"Senior Su Man?"

The nurse paused for a moment, then pointed to the carved wooden door at the end of the corridor.

"It's in room number one, but... if you're here to deliver flowers or visit someone in the hospital, I advise you to go back."

She lowered her voice and said with lingering fear:

"Several groups of boys tried to go in and flirt with me, but they were kicked out before they even got inside."

"My senior said she gets a headache whenever she sees a man, and she's getting angry right now."

"Headache? You seem to be in good spirits."

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow, not backing down but instead straightening his collar with even more confidence.

"It's okay, I'm different. I'm here to give her even more trouble."

After saying goodbye to the nurse with the strange look in her eyes, he walked straight to the closed wooden door.

"Knock knock knock".

The crisp knocking sounded particularly clear in the quiet corridor.

"Get lost! Didn't I tell you I was resting and not to bother me?!"

A furious shout immediately rang out from the room.

"You're so irritable, you seem to be recovering quite well."

Jiang Zhe wasn't annoyed; he simply spoke slowly through the crack in the door.

"It's me, Kang Chul."

"..."

The room fell silent instantly.

Immediately following was a series of hurried footsteps, followed by a "click" as the door lock was turned from the inside.

The door was pulled open, revealing Su Man's slightly pale, yet still strikingly beautiful face.

At this moment, she was wearing a soft silk hospital gown, the neckline slightly open, revealing a dazzling expanse of snow-white skin.

Perhaps because she had just undergone deep purification treatment, her hair was still a little damp and casually draped over her shoulders.

She's lost some of her usual competence, but gained a touch of laziness.

"Why are you here?"

Once she confirmed it was Jiang Zhe, the wariness in Su Man's eyes disappeared, replaced by a look of surprise.

She slightly turned her body to the side, and although she didn't give him a friendly look, she still made way for him.

"Come in, don't just stand there."

Jiang Zhe didn't stand on ceremony and pushed the door open, pulling over a chair to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Can't I come and see my capable assistant?"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously swept over the bedside table, where a lab log stained with blood lay.

"But this is what you call rest?"

"If I had your body, I probably would have gone on strike and protested long ago."

Stop being so cheeky.

Su Man leaned back on the bed, rubbed her temples, and her voice betrayed her exhaustion.

"That deep purification was much more uncomfortable than what you did that night."

"I'm going to go crazy if I don't find something to distract myself."

She changed the subject, raising her eyelids to give Jiang Zhe a lazy glance.

"So what are you doing here looking for me, an injured person?"

"If you want me to do work, forget it. I'm in no condition to help out."

"How could that be? Am I that kind of person?"

Jiang Zhe looked righteous and then took out the black admission ticket from his pocket, flipping it nimbly between his fingers.

"I just wanted to ask, would you be interested in coming with me to a place...with a strong academic atmosphere?"

"I'm not going."

Su Man didn't even glance at the card, and even pulled the blanket over half her face, her voice muffled.

"All I want to do right now is lie in this bed and sleep like a log, and nobody can drag me out of bed."

"real?"

Jiang Zhe wasn't in a hurry. He simply leaned forward slightly, getting a little closer, as if a demon was whispering.

"You know the depths of the black market, right?"

"I heard from the professor that there's a special auction tomorrow night, full of good stuff just dug out of mechanical relics."

Upon hearing this, Su Man's hand, which was covering the blanket, visibly paused for a moment.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhe's smile deepened, and he continued to increase his bets.

"Haven't you always wanted to learn my card-making techniques?"

"What I'm going to make this time is called the Floating Cannon, which is a hundred times more complex and sophisticated than the previous Water Cutting Card."

"And the items in this auction are very likely the final piece of the puzzle for this new work."

He paused deliberately, then spread his hands and sighed with regret.

"If you don't go... then I'll just have to find any professor's student to help."

"At that time, they'll get the first-hand assembly process for free."

"You dare!"

The blanket was suddenly pulled off.

Su Man sat up abruptly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Jiang Zhe, her chest heaving with excitement.

"This is entrapment! This is moral blackmail!"

She gritted her teeth, her face full of indignation.

That bastard knows her too well.

Even though every cell in her body was screaming for rest, at this moment, her damned thirst for knowledge still overwhelmed everything.

"So, are you going to take the bait or not?" Jiang Zhe looked at her with a smile, completely confident.

"..."

Suman stared at him, internally struggling for about two seconds.

In the end, she could only sigh dejectedly and lean back against the headboard like a deflated balloon.

"What time is it?"

"See you at the school gate tomorrow night at 7 PM."

"Okay, I'll go."

As she spoke, Su Man added irritably, "But let me make this clear: if it comes to a fight, I can't be of any help."

"make a deal."

Jiang Zhe snapped his fingers; the goal was achieved.

Actually, he might not even need a bodyguard; he just needs a porter.

However, if he were to say those words aloud, Su Man would probably stuff a pillow in her mouth.

"Oh, right, there's something else."

Jiang Zhe seemed to suddenly remember something, and took the SIM card out of his pocket and handed it over.

"This is my new communication card. Add your mental imprint first, so I don't have to come and call you tomorrow."

"Who asked you to shout?"

Su Man rolled her eyes at him, but still stretched out her slender white finger and gently tapped the silver card.

"Buzz..."

Their spiritual energies converged, and the binding of the mark was completed in an instant.

"Excuse me, may I bother you?"

Just then, a weak voice came from the doorway.

The young nurse, who had been following behind but hadn't dared to come in, stood there awkwardly holding two bottles of medicine, caught in a dilemma.

She glanced at Su Man, who looked helpless but not angry, and then at Jiang Zhe, who remained calm. A storm raged in her heart.

No wonder the senior was waiting for someone; she was waiting for someone.

"Senior Su, it's time to change the dressing... but did I come at the wrong time?"

"Huh? Oh."

Su Man was stunned for a moment. Although she didn't know when the nurse had arrived, she quickly adjusted her posture.

"It's alright, you've come at just the right time."

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer. I'll be going now."

Seeing this, Jiang Zhe tactfully got up to say goodbye, but didn't forget to give a word of advice as he reached the door.

"Get some rest. I'll be waiting for you at the door tomorrow evening."

"Too verbose."

Su Man waved her hand dismissively, and after watching Jiang Zhe leave, she seemed to shed her pretense and collapsed back onto the bed.

"This guy..."

……

The following evening, at the entrance of Tianlan College.

Jiang Zhe arrived at the agreed location on time.

A few minutes later, a figure walked out from the end of the path.

He looked closely and almost didn't recognize him.

Su Man was wearing extremely loose dark gray overalls and carrying a large canvas bag that looked very heavy.

Her long, flowing hair was all tucked into a baseball cap, and she wore a black mask that covered her entire face, leaving only her bright eyes visible.

"Your outfit..." Jiang Zhe looked you up and down. "Going to buy supplies?"

"Otherwise what?"

Su Man tugged at the somewhat heavy backpack strap, her voice muffled by her mask.

"Anyway, the black market is a really dirty place, who are you trying to impress by dressing up like that?"

"In the past, in order to save money on experiments, I often went there to scavenge for scrap materials, so I know the rules there."

"As long as you know what you're doing, that's good enough."

Jiang Zhe nodded, quite satisfied with the assistant's usefulness.

Before he could even say it outright, Su Man had already put on her backpack.

"Let's go, let's make a killing tonight."