My Demon Friends-Chapter 651 - 616 Still Spoiling You_2

Brother Nan was thrilled.

Just then, Zhou Li had a sudden feeling.

Looking down, he saw that the strap of his backpack had slipped out from under the table and was still swaying. Something was moving inside the backpack where Tuanzi had been sleeping.

A round, fluffy little ball popped out. It had a pair of eyes as blue as the ocean and as glittering as a starry sky, but they were still drowsy. "Zhou Ni, what did you put in the bag?"

"Shh..."

Zhou Li reached into the bag. After fumbling for a moment, he found an oversized water bottle and two small bowls.

He took them out. The water bottle looked like those used by hikers, with a capacity of at least one liter. It was filled with a homemade beverage that looked like a rich silver fungus soup mixed with milk.

"MEOW?"

"What's this?" Tuanzi and Brother Nan asked at the same time.

Zhou Li scratched his head and then felt his phone vibrate.

Huai Xu: Miss Zheng made some Peach Gum Soup. The peach gum was picked from the peach tree behind the house. She said it should be eaten while it's hot, so I rushed to the supermarket to find something to bring it over in. After your class is over, hurry up and eat it. Let me know when you're done; I need to wash the water bottle and return it.

Huai Xu: Aren't I good to you?

Zhou Li: ...

With a forced smile, he explained to Brother Nan, "It's the Peach Gum Soup I went out of my way to buy on the way back, and I put it in this. There are also two bowls, so we can eat after class."

"Oh!"

Brother Nan slapped his head. My memory is terrible.

Baozi watched silently from the side.

The class meeting ended quickly. Neither Brother Nan nor Zhou Li left. Baozi, determined to freeload, also stayed seated. Her unusual behavior even attracted Cotton Swab.

They then started to share the Peach Gum Soup.

Brother Nan and Zhou Li shared one bowl, Baozi and Cotton Swab used another, and Lord Dumpling used the lid of the water cup.

It was said that peach gum is rich in collagen and good for one's complexion, though this was likely a rumor. But it tasted genuinely good. It also contained snow lotus seeds, goji berries, red dates, and snow swallow. The perfect amount of rock sugar provided just the right sweetness, enhanced by a hint of milk. The texture was pleasantly chewy, like jelly, making it very enjoyable to eat.

Huai Xu: How is it? Is it good?

Zhou Li: Don't return the water bottle. Just pay for it.

Huai Xu: What's wrong? Did you tear off the label?

Zhou Li: How did you know?

After sending the message, Zhou Li hurriedly tore off the label.

"SLURP..."

Baozi took a big gulp of the Peach Gum Soup, passed the bowl clockwise to Mianmian, then gently licked her lips and asked Zhou Li, "Cousin, are you interested in participating in the photography competition to earn credits?"

"Hm?"

"I'm quite confident about the school's photography competition. I'm sure I can earn credits."

"You mean..."

"Take me with you on the rural outreach program, and I'll give you half the photos I take."

"Why do you insist on tagging along with us?"

"Following you and Brother Nan, there's always an endless supply of delicious things to eat," Baozi answered honestly, keeping her eyes fixed on her cousin, hoping her sincerity would sway him.

"No."

"Cousin, you have so few credits, you won't be able to graduate."

"No."

"Baozi, are you going to drink it or not?"

"..."

Baozi retracted her earnest gaze and took the Peach Gum Soup back from Qian Qian.

Qian Qian said with a giggle, "Load up on collagen. It'll make your face fairer and chubbier, and Brother Nan will love pinching it even more."

Baozi silently took only a small sip.

But she soon realized this was Qian Qian's trick and changed her small sips to big gulps.

...

Summer had officially begun on the fifth of the month, and several days had passed. The sun in Chunming grew increasingly intense, reaching the point where people dared not linger under it for long. During the change of classes, girls entering and exiting the academic buildings all carried parasols of various styles, creating a picturesque scene.

Zhou Li was nearing the final stages of crafting his second Thunder Pill.

The Old monster appeared openly, sitting behind him without a word. He watched as Zhou Li added the final stroke to the Thunder Pill's Attack Formation, the threads of Spiritual Power merging into one.

All that remained was to inscribe the set of Runes for storing Spiritual Power, a comparatively simpler process.

Huai Xu finally spoke, "Did you get your salary yet?"

"Not yet."

Zhou Li put down the carving knife and the Thunder Pill. He felt somewhat fatigued from concentrating his mental energy so intensely for too long.

"You still haven't gotten yours?" Huai Xu said disdainfully. "I've already got mine!"

"Yours is a reward for 'heroic acts' or 'cooperating with law enforcement.' Mine is issued with last month's salary," Zhou Li shook his head. "But it should arrive today."

"Is yours more than mine?"

"Definitely not."

"HAHAHAHA!"

"..."

Is this Old monster an idiot?

Zhou Li took out his phone and sent a message to Yin Le: The first Thunder Pill is almost ready.

Yin Le: Okay.

Yin Le: We're still negotiating the purchase price.

Yin Le: One of the leaders said the Thunder Pill is a throwable weapon and a product of low to medium technological content. He wants to set the purchase price by referencing artillery shells of comparable power, plus a special premium. To put it bluntly, the older generation is just stingy. Thankfully, the Minister and all our Heavenly Masters believe it should be classified as a high-end special weapon. The price should be settled in a few days.

Zhou Li: It doesn't really matter to me.

Yin Le: Heh.

Yin Le: By the way, in the future, could you avoid putting those hollow patterns on the surface of the Thunder Pills?

Zhou Li: Not for now. Maybe I can redesign them once my skills improve.

Yin Le: Never mind then. But please try to standardize the diameter of the Thunder Pills. Establish a standard, allowing for a small margin of error, but they can only be slightly smaller, not larger. We will design related throwing equipment based on the size of your Thunder Pills.

Zhou Li: I'll give you the details later.

Just as he put down his phone, Huai Xu asked, "How much money can you make from them?"

"I don't know."

"How come you don't know anything?"

"Definitely not as much as the Deity statues."

"Then don't sell them..."

"They have to be sold."

"Give me half!"

"Alright, alright, alright..."

Zhou Li never haggled with Huai Xu over money; after all, everything was registered under Zhou Li's name.

Then he picked up the carving knife again.

This was the crucial step that determined the Thunder Pill's power.

The Thunder Pill's Attack Formation was also of a simple and direct type: within the limits of the Array's effectiveness, the amount of Spiritual Power inputted directly correlated to the feedback received. In this process, the total amount of Spiritual Power, the speed of its output, and the technique of inscribing Runes were all interconnected. A deficiency in any one area would hinder the overall result.

The carver had to inscribe the Runes while simultaneously inputting Spiritual Power, completing the entire process in one go without interruption.

Skill in inscribing Runes allowed this process to be sustained for longer.

Stronger control over Spiritual Power and faster output enabled more Spiritual Power to be inputted within the same amount of time.

However, even if one excelled in both areas, they could still be limited by their total Spiritual Power. Even the most experienced master carver couldn't infuse a Thunder Pill with more Spiritual Power than they themselves possessed.

At Zhou Li's current carving level, he could only inscribe two Runes for storing Spiritual Power in one go before becoming extremely fatigued, which greatly increased the probability of errors. Fortunately, his Spiritual Power was abundant. This large reserve also generated immense spiritual pressure, allowing for rapid output—so fast, in fact, that it sometimes exceeded the carving knife's tolerance.

Thus, he faced only two limitations:

His technique and his equipment.

Soon, the Rune inscription was complete, and the Thunder Pill was fully formed. The faintly leaking Spiritual Power was captured by the Array, transforming into fine electric arcs that danced around the Thunder Pill with a soft CRACKLE before vanishing in an instant.

Zhou Li opened a drawer, placed the pill inside, and prepared to call Yin Le to send someone to retrieve it.

It was valuable, dangerous, and potentially explosive; it definitely couldn't be sent by courier.

"Huh."

There was a text message from China Construction Bank.

Zhou Li checked it: a deposit of a little over one hundred thousand.

That's much less than the Old monster's reward for heroic acts, but as combat compensation, it's already a considerable sum. The Celestial Master Department has strict regulations for this. As far as I know, the combat subsidies Yin Le and the others receive aren't this high. Injury compensation is separate, and even compensation for death is only a few million.

A hand reached over. "Let me see, let me see!"

Zhou Li let him take the phone. He just wants to compare and feel superior. Might as well let him.