Chapter 115: Blessings and Worries

Qiao Mian stood by the window, overlooking the mountain forest close at hand. The woods were lush and stretched as far as the eye could see. High above the jungle, he could occasionally spot strange-looking large birds, and even pterosaurs, soaring by. Among the trees, a yellow-and-white figure was also in flight. The person flew side-by-side with a pterosaur; the creature was so frightened it kept changing direction, yet the figure stuck to it relentlessly. Qiao Mian could not help but chuckle and shake his head.

A moment later, that figure headed toward the office building. Qiao Mian stepped back and plopped onto the sofa. The individual descended slowly from the sky—it was none other than someone wearing a yellow-and-white Iron Man suit. The mask flipped open, revealing Wang Lang’s face.

"Mr. Qiao, this suit is truly incredible," Wang Lang said excitedly. At over forty years old, he was as happy as a 150-pound child.

Qiao Mian smiled indifferently, paying it no mind. This Iron Man suit was something Wang Lang had traded for with Guo Jing. Two sets were swapped in total; one was taken for research, and the other was kept for him to use as transport. He frequently had to come to the park to build rapport with Qiao Mian. Representing the nation, relying on the Transformers every day was not only inefficient but also beneath the dignity of a great power's representative.

"I heard you’ve blocked the Japanese?" Qiao Mian asked.

Wang Lang’s heart tightened. Even though he had guessed Qiao Mian’s identity and assumed he would share their sense of national outrage, such things could not be guaranteed. What if he was merely a monster from another world, possessing a human shell?

"Due to recent weather conditions and some lingering historical issues, we are currently in negotiations with them," Wang Lang said ambiguously.

Life had been very difficult for Japan recently. With the viral spread of Su Ming’s video, a global wave of opposition against World War II revisionism had emerged. Western countries were attempting to use this to force Germany to concede more benefits. Japan, as the primary instigator, faced widespread condemnation—especially since they had yet to acknowledge that period of history, and war criminals were still honored at the Yasukuni Shrine.

The Rabbit Kingdom had suspended all flight routes between the two, prohibited its citizens from entering Japan, and explicitly stated that these restrictions would only be lifted upon the abolition of the shrine and the removal of its contents. The Eagle Country, while placating its stepson, had stripped Japan of its entry quota for the Fantasy Park. Across Japan, the wealthy elite were busy emigrating, while the common people, having vented their frustrations online only to be met with a wave of account bans, found themselves with nowhere to turn, ultimately becoming the target of bitter mockery from South Korea. One was blacklisted by the Fantasy Park, the other by the Rabbit Kingdom; the South Korean trolls were even feeling a bit smug about it.

***

"I’ve roughly looked over the course catalogs and textbooks you brought," Qiao Mian said faintly. "There’s a lot of personal agenda in there."

Seeing that he was no longer mentioning the Japan issue, Wang Lang breathed a sigh of relief. This was likely tacit approval. He smiled and said, "If you find them inappropriate, Mr. Qiao, we can replace them."

Qiao Mian shook his head and replied, "Make the ones with strong bias optional courses—let people choose for themselves—and refine the foundational curriculum."

"I understand the first point, but what do you mean by the second?" Wang Lang asked.

Previously, Qiao Mian had asked him to help set up a literacy class in the park for staff from other dimensions. The course catalog Wang Lang had prepared included not only Earth culture and basic science but also many subjects like "Principles of Marxism," "Proletarian Revolution," "Principles of Drone Weaponry," and "Artillery Gunnery." This clearly had ulterior motives. Did he want to send Little Dragon Maiden to lead a revolution? Or have Huang Rong operate artillery? Qiao Mian could only agree to move these to the elective category for those who needed them.

As for refining the foundational courses...

"You say humans evolved from monkeys, but what happens when monsters arrive later?" Qiao Mian asked. "Are they failed, defective byproducts of evolution?"

Wang Lang pondered this. "That makes sense. Much of Earth’s science isn't applicable to others."

"Exactly. Keep it simple," Qiao Mian said. "If they want to learn more professional knowledge, they can audit classes at universities, just like Huang Yaoshi."

Recently, Huang Yaoshi had been using his time off to sit in on classes at Jiao Tong University. According to news Qiao Mian received from Little Dragon Maiden a few days ago, Grandma Sun seemed to be planning to go along as well.

"I’ll make some adjustments then," Wang Lang said. Qiao Mian nodded.

He reached out, and the refrigerator door opened automatically; two cans of Bingfeng soda flew straight over. Handing one to Wang Lang, he took the other, pulled the tab, and began to drink slowly. Wang Lang watched with envy. With the ability to manipulate objects from a distance, Mr. Qiao was truly a celestial being.

Qiao Mian had long since become accustomed to using the protective barrier. He set down the soda can, discussed a few other matters with Wang Lang, and then let him leave. The shooting range had been open for five days, and his daily income had basically stabilized. Although its appearance had caused quite a stir worldwide, the income it brought Qiao Mian was quite limited. With an average of five hundred visitors a day, it brought him the equivalent of 50,000 game coins—only a fraction of what the Scripture Depository provided, and it couldn't even compare to the Haunted House.

***

The next day, Qiao Mian received the refined course schedule and textbooks from Wang Lang. He thought for a moment, then turned and went downstairs.

In the northwest corner of the second floor of the office building, there was an office spanning four or five hundred square meters. Inside, there were twenty workstations, along with five or six sets of sofas and coffee tables, a snack cabinet filled with various treats, some flowers and plants, and two cats. When Qiao Mian walked in, the two fat cats were napping on a plant stand.

The office was filled with the sound of chatter. He didn't listen closely, but he caught snatches of words like "Mr. Qiao," "Dragon Girl," and "dinner."

He gave a light cough, and the discussion ceased abruptly. The dozen or so women in the office scrambled back to their desks, feigning industrious work. Sitting a bit further back, Little Dragon Maiden uncrossed her legs, quickly pulled the Bluetooth headset from her ear, and shut down the phone that had been playing *Twilight*. She sat up straight, staring at the computer screen in front of her.

It wasn't until Qiao Mian walked closer that she turned her head, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "Mr. Qiao, you're here!"

Even though Qiao Mian wasn't using his real face, she had recognized him at once.

"Just dropped by to see," Qiao Mian said, walking toward the plant stand and reaching out to stroke the fat cat. The cat meowed comfortably. The other fat cat also nudged closer.

Little Dragon Maiden stood up and said, "Xiao Yu gave them to me. They’re just too greedy, that's why they got so fat."

Qiao Mian laughed. "You need to make them exercise more. There are mice in the dinosaur park; you can let them go catch some."

Little Dragon Maiden worried, "What if they aren't careful and get eaten by a dinosaur?"

"Even so, they need to move around. Being too lazy leads to fat accumulation," Qiao Mian said casually.

Little Dragon Maiden blushed and looked down. She felt that Qiao Mian was hinting at her. Recently, she had clearly noticed that a certain part of her had grown a bit fuller. Grandma Sun had told her with a smile that it was just puberty and a good thing, but she felt shy and worried. What if Mr. Qiao didn't like it?