Chapter Sixty-Two: The Legendary Isle of Penglai

When it came to business, Qin Jing’s smile faded. “There’s time, but don’t just take in anything. We only accept luxury goods, with a focus on jewelry and designer brands.”

“I know. The Green Recycling Society is just a front—putting up a sheep’s head to sell dog meat. It’s enough to win policy support from the school.”

Qin Jing nodded approvingly. The years had taught him many things, and he didn’t just tolerate such arrangements—he saw them as a mark of “ability.” That was why he valued working with Yan Yizhen.

“Do you need my help? I can do statistical work. That’s my specialty,” Susan offered from the side.

Qin Jing glanced at her and decided it was time to make use of Susan’s presence. Keeping her idle at his side wasn’t practical, so he nodded in agreement.

They then discussed the timeline. Qin Jing turned to Yuan Na, asking how many days it would take to produce the design renderings and officially start construction.

Yuan Na promised to speed things up, estimating that she could have the budget ready in about three days. Once the deposit was paid, work could begin.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Jing set the timeline for three days later: once renovations began, there would be no more business here, and it would be time to return to school and reconnect with old acquaintances.

After dinner, Yan Yizhen accompanied him back to the shop, retrieving several items from the car and handing them to Qin Jing.

There were eight pieces in total, all luxury goods. Qin Jing quickly estimated their value and transferred payment to Yan Yizhen.

She was in high spirits. She always kept a clear account of what she collected, and Qin Jing’s prices were generous—on this deal alone, she would make at least fifty thousand yuan. Earning money through her own efforts felt entirely different from receiving it from her family.

Miss Yan’s motivation +5!

Yuan Na also stayed behind, snapping a few photos inside the shop. When she learned the backyard would be renovated too, she finally understood the extent of Qin Jing’s wealth.

“With the backyard included, it’ll be nearly four hundred square meters. That’s enough space to build a whole house. This isn’t just a renovation—it’s the construction of a luxury villa.”

She whispered this to Susan in private.

Susan just smiled. She never doubted how much money Qin Jing had. People like him—and people like Hathaway—might not appear extremely wealthy, but their ability to make money was top notch.

“Isn’t that exactly what you want? The bigger the project, the more you’ll earn.”

“That’s true. Once this deal is sealed, I’ll finally have something to show off at the company. Susan, you have no idea how tough it is in the company now. A beauty like me is constantly being hit on by that old lecher, promising promotions and raises just to take advantage of me. As if I’d ever fall for that.”

“Of course, if he weren’t an old lecher but a young handsome man, you’d probably agree.”

“Nonsense! If it’s a handsome guy, then it’s mutual affection.”

As the two women chatted, a sudden loud boom sounded from outside.

Both were startled—Yuan Na in particular, who rushed out of the shop in alarm, only to find Qin Jing already there.

“What happened?” Susan asked.

“It wasn’t from our place,” Qin Jing reassured them. He offered a few comforting words, though he himself had sensed something: for a fleeting moment, the spiritual energy in the world seemed to have grown denser.

Could this be a sign of spiritual revival? But he vaguely remembered that when he first encountered the GPD a year ago, things hadn’t been like this.

After saving the shop’s data, Yuan Na took her leave.

At that moment, Susan appeared before Qin Jing, phone in hand, and spoke softly, “It’s Hathaway.”

“Mr. Qin, are you satisfied with Susan’s work? Feel free to use her as you wish; Phoenix Society will cover her salary.”

Hathaway’s tone revealed nothing, so Qin Jing asked directly, “What was that loud noise just now?”

Hathaway suspected he was from the mythical world, or that he had inherited something from it. Either way, it meant he probably didn’t know much about the extraordinary world, so Qin Jing’s question was perfectly justified.

Could Hathaway refuse to answer? Of course not. In fact, she explained in detail.

“A spiritual artifact surfaced at sea, causing a second surge of spiritual energy near Cold Sea. But that loud noise was the result of extraordinary beings fighting over the artifact. Normally, such activity is carefully suppressed by the authorities, but this time the battle reached the fourth extraordinary level. At that tier, these figures can summon storms and upheaval at will; their power is too great to simply be hidden by official means.”

“A spiritual artifact? What is it?” Qin Jing pressed.

“Well, there’s no definitive answer yet. It’s a small island that rose from the sea. Some suspect it’s the legendary Isle of Penglai—with neatly planted spiritual rice, a mystical spring cascading down the immortal mountain at its center, and jade scattered across the ground. There’s even a grand hall at the heart of the island… But to this day, no one who’s entered has come out, so it’s all speculation.”

“No one has come out?” Qin Jing exclaimed in surprise.

“Revival of spiritual energy is never a smooth process—it’s fraught with peril. Many things once beautiful have, after ages, become twisted. The corpses of immortals might have become drought demons, wreaking havoc in the world. Relics of myth may have gained sentience, seeking to break free of their bonds and slaughter countless living beings. A place like the suspected Isle of Penglai is full of dangers. So far, even the most powerful factions only linger on its outskirts, too wary to set foot inside. Only some rogue extraordinaires dare to risk their lives to enter. This time, the spiritual artifact was brought out by a lone rogue extraordinaire.”

“But you said no one could get out?”

“Yes, that extraordinary was a corpse—well, after emerging, he’d already turned into a zombie and was chopped into pieces.”

“…”

Hathaway continued, “By the way, Mr. Qin, the reason I called is to see if you can help me get in touch with Zheng Qiuyin. I’d like to reconcile with her—what do you think?”

Qin Jing raised an eyebrow and declined outright, “I don’t know Zheng Qiuyin well. Even in normal business dealings, I’ve never sold her a single magic stone.”

Now Hathaway was genuinely puzzled. “How could you not know her? You control the Tio Gems. She’s a practitioner of the witchcraft system…”

Before she could finish, Qin Jing interrupted, “I do things my own way. Once someone offends me, it hurts my feelings, and for those who do, I usually just freeze them out.”

At this thinly veiled warning, Hathaway recalled the time Zheng Qiuyin had encountered Qin Jing at his shop. She immediately understood: Zheng Qiuyin must have offended him.

That realization brought Hathaway a secret delight—a sense of having gained favor with Qin Jing where her rival had not…