novelraw Chapter 2
Chapter 2
2. Witches Are All Black-Hearted Merchants
"Loan service? What's the interest rate?"
Meng Lian's nose was filled with an orchid-like fragrance. His ears felt ticklish, and his heart felt ticklish too, but his mind remained crystal clear.
After all, once compound interest started rolling, even if he passed the entrance exam, he would still be crushed by debt.
"Not much. Five percent daily."
The Senior Sister smiled like an orchid, but Meng Lian nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard this.
Five percent daily!
Why don't you just rob people instead?
Meng Lian quickly calculated. If he borrowed only two thousand credits, after one week he would owe two thousand seven hundred credits including interest. That seven hundred credits was pure profit! Absolute extortion!
Meng Lian hurriedly distanced himself from this Senior Sister. He could see it now. These witches were all black-hearted merchants. Hanging from streetlights was too good for them. Clearly, they had done this plenty of times.
"Junior, don't run. Your most important task right now is passing the entrance exam. Taking out a loan is no big deal. If you're worried about repayment later, come here. Senior Sister has another way."
Seeing that Meng Lian was about to be scared off, the Senior Sister looked anxious and grabbed his hand.
"What way?"
"Come, come here. Senior Sister's method guarantees you can pay off the loan. You might even have some left over."
The Senior Sister pulled Meng Lian to a corner with fewer people, then mysteriously pulled a small booklet from her chest, leaving Meng Lian dumbfounded.
"Stop staring. You'll have them later too. Maybe even bigger than mine."
The Senior Sister noticed that Meng Lian's gaze had locked onto her chest but did not get angry. Instead, she grinned shamelessly.
Meng Lian heard this and found himself unable to refute her.
"There's gold in books. These are all quick money-making paths. Take a look and see which one suits you. After you successfully transform into a witch, come find me. I'll give you priority access to resources."
The Senior Sister flipped open the booklet. Meng Lian leaned in curiously, and his vision went black.
The images in this booklet were so explicit that not even full censorship would be enough to pass review. The so-called money-making paths the Senior Sister mentioned actually involved working at corner clubs or becoming a courtesan!
"No, no! I'll find another way! Farewell, goodbye, no, never see you again!"
Meng Lian's face turned green. He fled in panic. Behind him, the Senior Sister remained persistent.
"Don't go, Junior. It's not that bad. Our clients are all beautiful older sisters. You won't lose out. Junior, Junior, won't you reconsider?"
Reconsider my foot!
Meng Lian stumbled and instantly put distance between himself and that shop.
He saw it clearly now. This was a full criminal enterprise.
First, they drained new students of their credits in the name of the entrance exam. Then they offered high-interest loans. Finally, when newly transformed witches could not repay the debt, these people sent them off to corner clubs and brothels to make another huge profit.
Dark. Absolutely despicable!
But the problem was, just as that Senior Sister said, their most important task now was passing the entrance exam. These Witch Potions seemed to be their only option. Even if there was a trap, new students had no choice but to jump in.
Meng Lian looked around at the new students frantically buying Witch Potions. They must all be thinking the same thing. Pass the exam first, worry later.
Meng Lian shook his head and cleared his mind of distracting thoughts. He was here as an undercover agent, not to work at a club or become a courtesan.
Surely he would not be stealing intelligence in bed later?
Wait. Why did that not seem entirely impossible?
Meng Lian immediately stopped that dangerous line of thinking. As a warrior of the Alliance, he had his pride. Stealing intelligence by seducing witches in bed was absolutely out of the question!
He walked down the street, looking for any alternative to Witch Potions that could help him pass the exam.
Unfortunately, these senior witch sisters seemed to have colluded. The entire street was practically selling Witch Potions. Meng Lian had even asked around. Every shop's loan terms were shockingly identical: five percent daily interest.
So they were determined to bleed new students dry!
Meng Lian frowned. He looked at the two thousand credits in his hand and hesitated.
The prerequisite for completing his mission was successfully transforming into a witch. As for the loan, there would always be chances to repay it later.
Besides...
Meng Lian thought of that heavily censored booklet and felt a little conflicted. The Senior Sister's words rang in his ears.
If all the future clients were beautiful older sisters, would it really be so bad...
Stop! Stop! Meng Lian, oh Meng Lian, how did you fall so quickly?
Where is your pride? Where is your faith?
But I'm doing this to complete the mission.
Bah! You just want their bodies. You are low and shameless!
Thus, Meng Lian reached the end of the street while lost in hesitation.
At the end of the street stood only a souvenir shop. Compared to the other shops selling Witch Potions, it was very quiet.
That made sense. New students had spent all their credits on Witch Potions. Who had spare money for souvenirs?
But when the entire street was selling Witch Potions, suddenly having a small shop selling souvenirs seemed suspicious.
Meng Lian looked at the small shop. It was decorated in an ancient style. A wooden plaque read "Modu Souvenir Shop," with two life-sized stone lions at the entrance.
Meng Lian hesitated for a moment, then entered the shop.
Maybe there was another way to pass the entrance exam here?
The hope was slim.
Inside, the shop was quiet. Only a few new students were present, apparently with the same idea as him.
"Boss, boss, do you have any other methods to help us transform into witches?"
Sure enough, someone asked the shopkeeper at the counter.
The shopkeeper was a pink-haired loli. She was currently sleeping soundly on the counter. When awakened, drool still clung to the corner of her mouth. She wiped her lips with bleary eyes. But upon hearing the new student's question, she responded as if by reflex.
"Sure thing, brother. Sure thing. Just like this..."
She yawned. "Sorry, wrong channel."
The shopkeeper stretched, revealing a childlike figure that inspired absolutely no desire. She yawned again, then rummaged around in the back for a long time before pulling out a golden orb.
"Can you see this?"
The shopkeeper asked the new student before her. But Meng Lian felt puzzled. The new student stared for a long time, then grew angry.
"Are you messing with me? You don't have anything in your hand. If you say you have something, let me ask you, can you even see it?"
"Yawn. I never said I could see it. Since you can't see it, stop wasting time here. Get lost. Go buy more potions outside. Maybe I'll point you out later."
The shopkeeper looked small, but her mouth was foul. The new student's face turned red. He snorted coldly and stormed out of the shop.
Seeing this, the others shook their heads and followed suit. Soon, only Meng Lian and the foul-mouthed loli remained in the shop.
"Pthh. If you have no talent, just drink your medicine honestly. Did you really think you were the chosen one?"
The foul-mouthed loli stuck out her cute tongue and made a face. Seeing that Meng Lian was still inside, her little face showed impatience.
"What are you looking at? It's not like you can see it either. Go back and buy your potions. In a few days when you're working at some shop, tell your Senior Sister. Maybe I'll come to support you."
Meng Lian remained silent. He carefully examined the golden orb in the loli's hand. He could actually faintly see a golden dragon shadow flash past inside the orb.
"Um, Senior Sister, why is there a dragon inside your orb?"