Chapter 670
No rush, take your time
Chapter 670 No rush, take your time
"Would you like to see the previous ledgers, or the most recent ones?"
Faced with Marshal Shi's questioning, Jiang Ci didn't waste any words. His fingertip was already touching the terminal, as if he was about to bring up the light screen to find the ledger.
"..." Marshal Shi was taken aback by his decisive and swift action, and his teasing expression paused slightly.
This kid actually dares to take the bait!
Could it be that the debt is real?!
"I won't look at it." Marshal Shi quickly waved his hand to refuse, thinking to himself: If I don't look, I can pretend to be ignorant about this matter. But if I really see the liabilities on the ledger, how will I have the nerve to lower the price later?
He was still thinking of negotiating the price with Jiang Ci for the recipes, crystal cores, and tuition fees for learning how to purify pollutants.
"Really not going to watch?" Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a deliberate "honesty," as if confirming his suspicion that he might change his mind.
"I really won't look." Marshal Shi smiled gently, but his tone carried a deliberate air of "propriety." He said, "Even though I am a marshal, I cannot arbitrarily look at the Second Army's accounts."
"I see. Then don't watch it if you don't want to." Jiang Ci finally withdrew his hand from the terminal.
Just as Marshal Shi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, Jiang Ci changed the subject, his tone so sincere it was almost pitiful: "Speaking of funds, Marshal, as you know, our legion is still in debt. Do you think we could approve a special grant to help us out in this emergency?"
"!" Marshal Shi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
Good grief, so after all that, I've been outmaneuvered by this kid?!
Moreover, he specifically called himself "Marshal" and used the honorific "you" repeatedly, clearly indicating that he genuinely intended to request funding and was not just making empty promises.
"I'm short of funds too! Marshal, could you please be kind enough to approve some for me?" Shi Sijin immediately agreed, her eyes shining like a child who had found candy.
Everyone needs funding. It would be a fool not to seize such an opportunity that comes knocking on your door.
Once he regained his senses, Marshal Shi ignored Jiang Ci and smacked Shi Sijin on the forehead with his knuckles, so fast that Shi Sijin didn't even have time to react.
"If I can't fight Jiang Ci, can't I fight my own son?" Marshal Shi thought to himself.
"!?!" Shi Sijin immediately covered her forehead and looked at Marshal Shi, her wide eyes filled with dissatisfaction. If you don't want to give me the funds, fine, but why hit me?
Jiang Ci's feigned pitiful expression vanished almost instantly; he didn't want to get ripped off as well.
Bai Mianmian's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Marshal Shi with a hint of wariness, clearly worried that he would knock Jiang Ci's head next.
Marshal Shi was completely unaware of what Bai Mianmian and Jiang Ci were thinking. He stared at Shi Sijin with a forced smile and said, "I'm still short of zero-pollution crystal cores. How about handing over all the ones you have?"
Shi Sijin immediately distanced herself from Marshal Shi, covered her spatial button, and said, "There's none left. I already gave you so much before, there's not a single one left."
Marshal Shi looked at him with disdain, thinking how stingy he was.
If he had been even a second slower in covering the space button, he might have been able to convince himself to believe him.
Shi Sijin pretended not to see the disdainful look he was getting. After all, trying to get a zero-pollution crystal core from him? No way.
There are quite a few ability users who can purify crystal cores to zero pollution, but the Second Legion and its expedition team are all holding onto their crystal cores and queuing up for purification.
After all, who wouldn't want to completely purify all the crystal cores in their hands to zero pollution levels?
Therefore, in order to allow more people to use crystal cores with zero pollution value, each purifier has set a limit on the number of crystal cores that each person can process per day.
The few crystal cores he had painstakingly accumulated were almost entirely used up during this battle against the moth insect race.
Next, he will have to take some time to schedule an appointment with a purifier to cleanse the remaining crystal cores.
"If you want a crystal core with zero pollution value, you can take the crystal core to your sister-in-law... ask the purification ability users of the Second Legion to help purify it," Shi Sijin suggested.
His father definitely had several times more crystal cores than him, so he wouldn't embarrass himself by showing off his meager amount.
Actually, Shi Sijin initially wanted Marshal Shi to ask Bai Mianmian to help purify the crystal core, but he changed his mind before saying it. He was afraid that if Bai Mianmian was unwilling, it would just be causing her trouble.
However, although he quickly changed his mind, Marshal Shi still heard it and understood what he wanted to say.
But that's not urgent. Let's figure out how to get past these two guys' request for funding first.
Marshal Shi's eyes darted around, and a plan came to him!
"Hmph!" He gave a nonchalant snort, then looked away with a look of disgust, picked up the serving chopsticks, and continued eating hot pot as if nothing had happened.
As long as he doesn't respond, this matter can be put to rest.
Jiang Ci looked at him, who was completely absorbed in the hot pot, and couldn't help but twitch his lips. He thought to himself: This is no way to avoid the topic!
Shi Sijin understood what her father meant, and she pursed her lips speechlessly, but ultimately said nothing more.
After all, applying for funding isn't something they can just do by opening their mouths.
However, there's no rush. As long as Marshal Shi is still in the Second Army Corps, they have plenty of time to work their way up.
While Marshal Shi wasn't paying attention, Jiang Ci and Shi Sijin exchanged a glance, then tacitly looked away and went back to eating hot pot.
Thus, the matter of the two men applying for funding from Marshal Shi was subtly diverted from the conversation.
Marshal Shi, who was enjoying his hotpot to his heart's content, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the two of them no longer mentioned the expenses.
However, he knew that this matter would not end there.
It seems I need to finish this quickly and leave as soon as possible.
Marshal Shi silently made plans in his mind.
Bai Mianmian's gaze swept over the three faces again and again until she finally understood what was going on.
At first, Marshal Shi tried to put Jiang Ci in a bad mood with words for some unknown reason, but Jiang Ci countered without fear.
Then Marshal Shi was outmaneuvered by Jiang Ci, and Shi Sijin reacted quickly to keep up with his pace and started a team fight.
Finally, Marshal Shi was forced into a corner and had no choice but to take action against Shi Sijin to change the subject.
The current outcome is that Jiang Ci and Shi Sijin's joint application for funding has been temporarily suppressed.
However, judging from the expressions of the three people at this moment, there is a high chance that there will be more to this story.
If she were to bring up the issue of funding again now, wouldn't the three of them start fighting each other again?
Bai Mianmian felt a little tempted.
"It'll get cold if you don't eat it soon." At this moment, Jiang Ci put the cooked meat into her bowl.
Her spectator-like gaze was too obvious; if she kept looking, Marshal Shi would notice.
"Oh." Bai Mianmian came back to her senses and met Jiang Ci's doting yet helpless gaze. She immediately realized that he had seen through her little thoughts.
He clearly disagreed with her bringing up the issue of applying for funding again.
Bai Mianmian smiled at him and dismissed the idea.
The hot pot dinner lasted until evening. Although many people were still having fun, more people were full, tired, and left to rest.
Bai Mianmian and Jiang Ci were also among the people who left early, walking home hand in hand.
Behind the two, Marshal Shi watched their retreating figures with a somewhat enigmatic expression.