March 14th, Sunday, sunny.

It’s now 9:27 AM.

The sky above Buji Island is like a clear sapphire, with the edges of the gemstone adorned with a few gentle clouds. The golden sunlight passes through the glass window unobstructed, leaving mottled shadows that sway slightly in the conference room. Even the most picky wizard wouldn’t find a reason to doubt the work of today’s weather monitor.

It’s just that none of the young wizards in the conference room are paying attention to the beautiful weather outside.

Everyone’s focus is entirely on the hazy barrier at the front of the conference room.

Except Zheng Qing.

Upon noticing the smiling eyes of a legendary wizard, the teaching assistant in the red robe immediately turned his head, his gaze aimlessly wandering around—the assistant team’s large conference room was very simple and plain, with no grand chandeliers on the ceiling, no fresh green plants on the conference table, and no little sprites dressed in grey uniforms flying to and fro. There were only dark curtains hanging beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, rows of black hardwood high-back chairs set up in tiers, and two rows of silent filing cabinets behind the lectern—rather than a large conference room, it might as well be called a renovated lecture hall.

Unconsciously, Zheng Qing’s gaze wandered back to the front row of the conference room.

Old Yao was still watching him!

The young man instinctively lowered his head, inwardly cursing his bad luck, but immediately, the cheerful voice of the legendary wizard rang in his ears: "I reminded you, when cursing me in your heart, make sure to cast a good spiritual guard magic on yourself. As soon as I walked in, the whole conference room was hazy, while you were burning like a big candle, unrestrained, afraid I wouldn’t see you?"

Zheng Qing shivered, quickly activating a few talisman papers tucked inside his waistband, a faint spell light flickered, like an invisible envelope wrapping the young wizard tightly.

Perhaps Hilda beside him sensed the subtle magical fluctuations, and looked at him strangely.

Zheng Qing barely managed a smile.

Yet this smile froze on his face before it could fade.

Because Old Yao’s voice once again echoed in his mind: "A quick reaction, you really are a qualified hunter... Hmm? You’re wondering why you can still hear me? I just told you that without protection, I can hear your inner voice. I didn’t say that with protection I couldn’t hear you. Is it that hard to understand?"

That’s too unfair!

Zheng Qing held his forehead, striving to clear the cluttered thoughts, and began silently reciting the Heart Sutra.

"Reciting sutras can wait a bit." Old Yao’s nagging voice continued ringing in the young wizard’s ears: "Since you’ve come today, it means you want to participate in this project, right?"

Zheng Qing hesitated, nodding slightly.

Professor Yao’s voice didn’t pause for a moment: "...If you accept this project, the project team will apply on behalf of the assistant team for an additional three hours of ’extra time conversion’ daily, ensuring you have enough energy to complete the related tasks. Of course, if you plan to refuse now, before leaving this room, you also need to sign a strict Silence Contract."

Unable to hold back, Zheng Qing tentatively asked in his heart: "Professor, in your previous reply you said ’don’t use the Time Converter for anything other than studies’..."

"Weren’t you yet to attend the meeting then?"

After Old Yao’s counter-question, he seemed to have ’seen’ what Zheng Qing wanted to ask next, casually interrupting his thoughts: "Any further questions you can ask when you accept the task later. Right now, I’m chatting with dozens of people in this room, I don’t have time to satisfy your curiosity or listen to your various ’guesses’."

After that, his voice disappeared from the warlock’s mind, never to be heard again.

Zheng Qing looked around in amazement, realizing belatedly that many assistants in the conference room had their eyes closed, displaying a respectful and serious expression—which definitely isn’t the look of ordinary meditation.

The names on stage had only just reached those starting with ’C’, like Caroline, and Zheng Qing didn’t need to calculate to know that his turn wouldn’t come anytime soon.

Unlike him, some assistants with later initials weren’t sitting properly at their desks spacing out, but instead took out their pens and ink, either correcting students’ assignments, reading difficult reference books, or simply drafting talisman paper and etching array plates. In short, within a short time, the assistants in the conference room seemed to find their own tasks and began working.

Zheng Qing gradually realized the reason for the lengthy meeting today.

Because every assistant whose name was called would stay in the barrier for five to ten minutes, and each time only four assistants could be inside the barrier.

Beside him, Hilda blatantly laid down on the table and started napping, while Zheng Qing didn’t feel as leisurely, earnestly taking out Professor Li QiHuang’s "Standard Potion · Sophomore" from the grey cloth bag and began doing his Magic Potion Class assignments.

He had a large pile of such assignments, never needing to worry about having nothing to do.

Perhaps because the room was full of teachers and he was the only student, Zheng Qing felt exceptionally focused on studying today. Before he knew it, he had completed assignments for seven courses including Magic Potion Class, Alchemy, Magic Script, and Divination all at once.

As he rubbed his wrist and put away the "Yin Fu Studies" homework on his desk, he finally heard the long-awaited voice—

"Zheng Qing!"

"Present!"

The young assistant hurriedly stood up, suddenly realizing that the conference room was almost empty. He hadn’t even noticed when Hilda left.

When he walked into the hazy barrier, he discovered the space within was far beyond his imagination—a wide corridor comparable to the avenue in front of the library, flanked by four large arch doors, three of which were closed.

Zheng Qing hesitated as he entered the open door.

The vast and empty office contained only a desk and two chairs. Professor Qian Jiuzhou, the Vice Chairman of the School Works Committee, sat behind the desk, with a thick stack of parchment to his left and only a thin sheet to his right.

He picked up the parchment on his right, gesturing for Zheng Qing to sit.

"Do you agree to participate in the assistant team’s ’Little Hand’ task." Professor Qian rubbed his eye corner, speaking concisely. Apparently, he had repeated this sentence many times today, so when it exited his mouth it carried no tone, like squeezed sugar cane pulp without flavor.

"I agree." Zheng Qing nodded silently.

Considering Su Shijun’s comment about ’participating’, along with the contract signed with Xin Fat Man not yielding much valuable information, plus Old Yao’s promise of adding three hours of ’Time Turn’ daily, Zheng Qing bit his lip and decided to accept.

"Very well, then you need to sign here, here... as well as here."

Professor Qian pointed to several spots on the parchment, then indicated the feather pen on the pen rack beside him, offering reassurance: "No need to be nervous, it’s just some very ordinary repetitive work, though somewhat tedious and technically demanding, hence needing some ’advanced assistants’ to help... Rest assured, the school will provide substantial compensation as a subsidy."