Love, Gun, Cupid

When someone uses the Overtime Magic, they avatar to receive the effects of the Overtime Magic and then bear the consequences. However, when Kapok used her own body to cast the spell, she was already so weak after only thirty seconds.

and……

"This is only the first round of the playoffs, and she has already fully exposed the strengths and weaknesses of her new skill to her opponents. I'm afraid she won't have a chance to use this skill again," Wei Ying said.

Yes, besides defeating their opponents, how to defeat them at the lowest possible cost is also something participants need to consider. The disadvantage for players like Kapok who have to play additional matches is that they have to play two rounds of additional matches, which means they give other competitors two rounds of observation.

“Unless you have the absolute strength to crush the other competitors, you have to collect all the information on them, analyze their match videos, and formulate corresponding tactics... This is something that the contestant can't do on their own,” Lin Jiade muttered.

Du Juan added enthusiastically, "Not only that, nutritionists, pharmacists, legal professionals, public relations personnel, trainers, mechanics, life assistants... these are the kinds of people who help athletes reach their best condition. Once others start using them, you're forced to follow suit."

Therefore, starting from the intermediate to advanced professional title, the competition among magic researchers incorporates considerations of non-combat resources such as connections and capital. While each intermediate researcher is vying for three promotion spots, their team, those unsung heroes, is also making tremendous efforts.

Of course, you can get promoted by being a lone wolf. But as you can see from the Baker Street Squad, lone wolves without a team will be assigned all sorts of missions by the Empire…

Lin Jiade wavered, the joy of Kapok's first victory dissipating: "Senior Kapok doesn't seem to have a team, does Senior Hehuan have any expertise in this matter?"

Du Juan shook his head and asked somewhat anxiously, "What is Senior Kapok's address?"

Du Juan read out the numbers, and Lin Jiade stormed out. Wei Ying glanced at his retreating figure, then turned back to her sister and said, "I refuse."

"Ok?"

Wei Ying rolled her eyes: "His intentions are easy to guess. He wants to help Kapok build a team, and you are the most powerful person he knows, so he will ask you for help."

If you get involved, you'll quickly drag me down with you—because I'm the one whose expertise is most relevant to kapok cultivation, so I refuse.

"Perhaps I can try to persuade you?"

"I won't listen, I won't listen," the warbler covered her ears. "This isn't my business, I'm not doing it!"

"Oh fine."

"You...don't plan to set any conditions?" Wei Ying asked, somewhat puzzled.

Du Juan smiled frankly: "You are my sister, how could I force you? It's just that I'll be busy after we get back to Fuxing City, and I might not be able to take care of you anymore. How about I tell my family and send you back to the Heavenly Realm?"

Chapter Thirteen: Intentions (35→34)

Lin Jiade ran quickly to Mumian's room, just as Hehuan pushed the door open. In his haste, he used his foot to wed the door and pried it open.

Hehuan turned around, a hint of panic on her face. She staggered a step, trying to see which rude person had barged in. Then, her panic disappeared, and she gave Lin Jiade a reproachful look.

"Don't scare me, junior. A fright and a surprise are not the same thing," she said.

Then what about how you and Jasmine ambushed me in the shower and forced me to drink medicine?

Lin Jiade hadn't forgotten the fright Hehuan had given him last month, so he didn't think Hehuan had the right to say this.

He went straight to the point: "Where is Senior Kapok?"

"The kapok tree is..."

The bathroom door opened, and Mu Mian emerged wearing slippers. Her head was enveloped in a confusing magic, and her body was partially obscured by her bathrobe—neither man nor woman. This unnatural human structure was the root of Lin Jiade's torment.

When Mu Mian saw Lin Jiade, she tightened her bathrobe, took out a bottle of soda from the freezer and drank it all in one gulp, then asked, "Is something the matter?"

He Huan tactfully left the room, closing the door behind her. After watching her leave, Lin Jiade said, "First of all, congratulations on your first victory, senior."

"Thank you."

"Then, I heard something from an acquaintance: the competition for promotion is based on the overall strength of the team. Has Senior Kapok formed her own team?"

Kapok shook her head: "No."

“I feel I can help… at least, to the best of my ability,” Lin Jiade said.

"You ran away from me in a panic, looking like you were in great pain, but within a few days you've added another pretty girl to your life. What can you do for me? I can't add another girl to your life, and I'm not in the mood for it."

Mu Mian's words were filled with resentment, and her question required several parts to answer. So Lin Jiade, very familiar with her, took out a bottle of soda from the freezer. As he passed by Mu Mian, her heat left a slightly itchy feeling on his skin.

Lin Jiade imitated Mu Mian's bold drinking style, downing his drink in one gulp and wiping his mouth. Mu Mian wanted to say something, but she ultimately held back, sitting on the edge of the bed, while Lin Jiade leaned against the table. He knew that Mu Mian couldn't truly be ruthless towards him.

"First of all, I'm really sorry about me running away. At that time, the alcohol had already made my mind not working properly, and then Senior Mumian suddenly took off her clothes... I thought that Senior was a man or a woman, but I never expected that Senior was not human."

"Ok?"

"Ah, no, no, I wasn't insulting you." Lin Jiade hurriedly waved his hand. "I mean, your existence has broadened my understanding: Jasmine broadened my view of race, Gladiolus broadened my view of life and death, and you, senior, have broadened my view of gender."

I've always been a conservative person, always wanting to maintain the status quo and then passively making changes when something big happens. Every time I break down my old ideas and form new ones, it's a slow process. Honestly, I still haven't figured out how to define our relationship.

Then, I shamefully ran away. My senior was so reliable that I subconsciously felt that even if I deserted, when I met him again the next day, he would greet me as always and calmly offer a solution. I would choose the one I liked best, and our relationship would return to normal.

However, the next day, even Senior Sister Hehuan disappeared. I realized that I could no longer rely entirely on Senior Sister Mumian for this matter. I couldn't always arbitrarily push the task onto you... Moreover, even if the problem was solved, we could not go back to the way things were before. Instead, we had to redefine our relationship.

Secondly, the pretty girl the senior saw was Miss Du Juan's younger sister, Wei Ying. Wei Ying is a complete siscon and felt I stole her sister's attention, so she didn't like me. I don't like her either; our relationship isn't what you're thinking.

"So, you and Dujuan are a possibility?" Kapok asked.

"It's impossible, I can't like Miss Dujuan." Lin Jiade changed the subject. "Senior... your tone reminds me of Jasmine. May I ask, what are your feelings for me?"

The young man licked his lips, looking at Mu Mian with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. People change. Two months ago, Lin Jiade would have been too embarrassed to say such a thing, and he would have been too ashamed to appreciate this genderless special human. But now, he could actually make Mu Mian look away.

“Regret,” Kapok said. “Liking turns into regret, possessiveness turns into regret, jealousy turns into regret, and anger turns into regret.”

This answer surprised Lin Jiade. He tried to ask, "Is this why you kept avoiding me and later lost control of your emotions?"

"Yes, I have something I'm hiding from you. If I tell you, all your gratitude and love for me will turn into hatred," Kapok replied decisively.

"Senior wants to settle things here?" Lin Jiade smiled. "Alright, my answer is 'no need to say.' Anyway, I don't know what it is. Compared to our current relationship, those old stories are not important!"

"But I will regret it. Every time I see you, regret torments me."

“Then you can choose to give up this memory. Gladiolus has the magic to split memories, and I can ask her to make you forget.”

“This is escapism, Lin Jiade,” Kapok said.

“No, this is for the sake of moving forward, Senior Kapok,” Lin Jiade retorted sharply.

Mu Mian's response was to untie her bathrobe. Lin Jiade quickly lowered his head, not wanting to offend her with his gaze, even though she was neither male nor female. Just as he lingered in Mu Mian's room, Mu Mian used the same tactic to shamelessly stop his verbal onslaught.

Lin Jiade knew that if he continued to dwell on this issue, Mu Mian would remain naked, creating an awkward atmosphere. It was November, and such unrestrained behavior could easily lower one's resistance, especially for someone who had just engaged in strenuous exercise.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Senior, please put your clothes on," he said.

“I’m glad you still see me as a woman after seeing how terrible I look,” Kapok replied.

As Kapok dressed, the feeling of the fabric sliding against her skin made Lin Jiade somewhat embarrassed. To cover it up, he continued, "Whether Senior is by my side or not is not important, but Senior's advancement to Advanced Magic Researcher is very important to me. Now, I have made up my mind that I will do everything I can to help Senior advance even higher."

This is a small token of my gratitude... and a way of making amends.

"What else have you learned?" Kapok asked.

“I remember in September, Senior Hehuan said that it would be easy for Senior Mumian to advance to the Advanced Magic Researcher, but now she has to start from the additional rounds, putting her at a disadvantage compared to the 26 main contestants who directly advanced… Is this because of me?”

The voting has ended, and readers have chosen France as the winner.

Chapter Fourteen Conditions

"I lost to the tuna because of my carelessness. My performance in the Mirror Realm was mediocre, and the Magic Registrar's Office downgraded my rating. I have no one to blame but myself," said Kapok.

Lin Jiade shook his head: "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to get involved in these two battles at all."

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to get involved in these two battles that dragged me into them.”

Kapok told him in her tone that it was clearly something she regretted. Lin Jiade continued, "In short, getting the senior into the position of advanced magic researcher is a victory for the senior, and also a victory for me, who can ride on the senior's coattails. It's a win-win situation for us."

"If we're talking about thighs, your Miss Azalea is more worthy of hugging."

Lin Jiade frankly said, "Miss Dujuan was just an unexpected visitor in my life, but in the long run, you are the one I rely on."

"He gives off a scumbag vibe," Mu Mian said.

"That proves that the senior has a girlish heart, and my acquaintances also refer to the senior as 'she' and told me that the senior can transform into a woman."

I think since my senior doesn't like football or shooting games, even if he became a man, we wouldn't be able to play together. At most, I could invite him to a public bathhouse, and then we could all eat together or something...

I don't lack friends like that, so I hope my senior is a girl, so I can have another female friend.

“My feeling is right, you’ve turned into a scumbag with clear eyes,” Mu Mian said.

Lin Jiade shrugged. Whether he was a scumbag or not didn't matter; what mattered was the means to achieve his goal. He looked at Kapok: "I plan to mobilize Jasmine, Gladiolus, Azalea, and Azalea's sister, plus our club—especially Senior Sister Hehuan. Everyone can provide comprehensive support from knowledge to funds to psychological support."

I prefer teamwork to individual efforts, which is why I love football—geniuses will shine and create their own era, but geniuses cannot win alone; they must work seamlessly with ten teammates, even sacrificing themselves for the team, to achieve a collective victory.

"I……"

“Agree to him,” Hehuan pushed the door open and came in. “I can’t listen to this anymore, Mumian. This is only the first round of the playoffs, and you’re already struggling so much. You’ve even revealed your overtime magic. I can provide you with financial and material resources, but the team needs functional talents.”

All I can do is play the violin and sing for you, and offer some emotional support. When we came to participate in the competition, we didn't even have a single porter to help us carry our equipment. Look, isn't your junior a perfect porter?

I've really been underestimated. I'm clearly a social butterfly! Lin Jiade thought.

Like Hehuan, Lin Jiade is not a functional talent, or rather, removing the "functionality" part doesn't quite capture it. He is a sword that has not yet been stained with blood, but he can attract functional talents that Kapok is unfamiliar with.

If he could persuade the two celestial observers to help, Lin Jiade felt that this was practically a sure thing. The real challenge was getting everyone together.

The easiest way is to get money from the senior students you don't know well in the club. Kapok and Albizia have connections with them, and by reasoning with them and offering them dinars, you can get money and gain a favor from future high-level magic researchers. No one would refuse such a good deal.

Gladiolus is not in a difficult position either. After the bloody battle in the Mirror Realm and the subsequent pain of separation, Lin Jiade and the Lich Lady are in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. She is willing to do anything for him, even to give up her status and dignity, and to use vulgar and humble means to please him;

Jasmine is at a lower difficulty level. She's unhappy that he's busy with other women, and even more unhappy that he leaves her behind when he's working for others. So, if he can get her involved and make her work with him, she'll be quite satisfied, and a little coaxing will do the trick.

Reed Warbler is a mid-to-high difficulty character. Lin Jiade is not familiar with her, nor is she familiar with Kapok. She is also quite self-centered and is normally an unconquerable character. However, she has a fatal weakness: she is always helpless against her sister, Azalea.

The cuckoo is the highest difficulty level. Cupid seems easy to talk to, but she always weighs what she gives and what she takes. She will only act and tighten the chains of her gratitude when what she receives is greater than what she pays, when she wins twice and someone else wins once.

Occasionally, a voice from the bottom of his heart tells Lin Jiade that he can owe favors to anyone else, but only to Du Juan. If he continues to increase the chains of favors in her hands, it will bring bad consequences.

He suppressed his unease. To help Mumian, just as she had helped him before, he was willing to take some risks. So, he looked at Mumian with a normal yet confident expression. Coupled with Hehuan's earnest goal, Mumian agreed.

"Great."

Lin Jiade and Hehuan turned to face each other and high-fived in celebration. Lin Jiade's emotions were instantly ignited. He charged back to the room like a speeding car, but only Weiying was playing games in the room, while Dujuan was nowhere to be found.

“Both my sister and I can help you, but our requirements are different,” Wei Ying said. “I have two requirements: First, I will fight her myself to test whether she is qualified to be taught by me, and also to let her know that I am qualified to teach her.”

“It’s a perfectly reasonable request,” Lin Jiade replied.

"Secondly, when we both need our sister and take up her time, you must unconditionally give way to me, and I will use divine revelation to turn our exchange into a solid contract."

Oh, that's all the requirements?

Lin Jiade breathed a sigh of relief. He was really worried that Wei Ying would take the opportunity to extort money from him. However, her first request was quite reasonable. Even without a divine decree, Lin Jiade would give in to her second request. After all, Wei Ying was Du Juan's sister, and he was just an outsider. What right did he have to compete with Wei Ying for Du Juan?

He agreed. Wei Ying asked him to extend his hand, and she cut both of their palms. Grass-green blood gushed from her wound and dripped into Lin Jiade's wound. Instantly, the wound was sealed by a sword-shaped pattern and disappeared into his skin, and his wound was completely healed.

"Where is your sister?" Lin Jiade asked.