novelraw Chapter 68
Chapter 68
68. Investment
"Sigh, forget it, forget it. I can't be bothered to hold a grudge. But you guys are seriously shady. Ten thousand credits? You're really treating people like suckers to be fleeced."
Meng Lian waved her hand and couldn't help but complain.
"Hehe, big sister, you don't understand. The ten thousand credit package is for our VIP members. Other people have other options."
Lilian's small face was filled with pride. "But our quality is excellent. In just these few days, we've already made five hundred thousand credits."
How much?
Meng Lian was shocked beyond belief. Seeing her reaction, Lilian puffed out her meager chest.
"That's incredibly profitable... Aren't you afraid the Student Council will come after you?"
"Please. The Student Council is in this business themselves. The Witch House is their Logistics Department's operation. If they wanted to crack down on us, they'd have to shut down their own Witch House first. With profits like this in the industry, do you really think they'd give that up?"
Lilian looked utterly dismissive, while Meng Lian appeared lost in thought.
She suddenly realized that if she wanted to get into the Student Council, good grades alone wouldn't be enough. After all, there were plenty of people with excellent grades. Why would the Student Council recruit a newcomer with no experience?
To securely enter the Student Council, she needed background and connections.
She definitely had no background, but connections were something she could develop.
But developing connections required credits, and she only had twenty-five hundred credits per month, barely enough to survive. Where would she get credits for networking?
Witches, like the Alliance, operated on relationships and favors. Back when Meng Lian was in the Alliance, she didn't have cultivation talent like her younger sister, so she could only work a basic position at the Great Wall managing communication equipment. It was boring, incredibly boring, but also genuinely leisurely. Most importantly, she didn't have to go to the front lines. It was a coveted posting in many people's eyes. This kind of desirable assignment came from Meng Lian's ability to navigate social relationships, and through it she came to understand the importance of building connections.
But now she had become a witch, and an undercover agent at that. Thinking about it, it was somewhat surreal. She still didn't know how she had been selected as an undercover operative, but when she learned she could contribute to the Alliance's cause, she had embarked on this journey without hesitation.
Meng Lian knew deeply that the Alliance winning would be difficult. But her younger sister was still in the Alliance waiting for her. She had to go home. Yet here she was among the witches, and the hope of returning home seemed slim.
But it was still something to hold onto, wasn't it?
Meng Lian could also try leveraging her connections with the Illusion Academy. But over these past few days, she had vaguely sensed something. The Illusion Academy was powerful, certainly, but their reputation seemed a bit off.
Besides, Meng Lian kept troubling her Senior Sisters. Although Xian Yun, Modu, and Fei Xing never said anything, Meng Lian always felt a bit guilty. She kept wanting to find a time to treat them to a meal as thanks.
Especially Modu. She had taken care of Meng Lian ever since she entered the Witch Academy. The clothes on her back had been purchased by her. Though she claimed they were only worth a few hundred credits, Meng Lian knew that dress was certainly valuable. She still owed Modu a favor.
In the end, whether entering the Student Council or thanking her Senior Sisters, she needed credits. A lot of credits.
And the Lilian before her offered a glimmer of hope.
Don't get the wrong idea. She wasn't going to sell herself. Although ten thousand credits per encounter was incredibly profitable, Meng Lian knew that was short-sighted thinking. What she wanted was to invest directly in Lilian's operation.
But right now she was just a new student. Besides her good looks, what leverage did she have to make Lilian agree to let her invest?
No, more accurately, to make the person behind Lilian, Lilian's older sister, agree to let her invest.
Meng Lian knew perfectly well that Lilian was just a worker. The one orchestrating everything behind the scenes was the older sister she kept mentioning.
"Hah, easy for you to say. I've heard that what you're doing is prohibited by the academy. I don't believe for a second the Student Council hasn't given you trouble."
Meng Lian recalled what Yaoyao had said and asked probingly.
After all, this industry was undeniably profitable. Lilian's group was essentially snatching food from the Student Council's mouth. It would be ghostly if the Student Council hadn't made a move.
The fact that Lilian was still operating freely meant one of two things: either they had someone inside the Student Council, a so-called protective umbrella, or they had paid some price to make the Student Council turn a blind eye.
Sure enough, hearing this, Lilian's small face fell.
Meng Lian had guessed correctly. The Student Council really had come after them. In the end, it was only because her older sister gave up thirty percent of the profits that the Student Council stopped giving them trouble.
"We... sigh... I have nothing to say. But it's still pretty good. We made five hundred thousand credits in just one night. That's quite a lot."
Lilian continued putting on a brave front, but her extremely pained expression gave her away.
Thirty percent of the profits. They should have earned so much more.
Seeing this, Meng Lian knew she had bet correctly. The corners of her mouth curled upward.
"Is that so? What if I told you I could help you earn more, and also get the Student Council to tacitly allow your advertising without deleting it? Would you be interested?"
"R-really?"
Lilian's eyes lit up, but she quickly looked at Meng Lian with suspicion.
"I admit you're very beautiful, but how exactly can you help us?"
Beauty couldn't put food on the table. Lilian remained wary of Meng Lian's attempt to get something for nothing.
Simply put, Meng Lian needed to show her cards.
"The method I'm talking about is me."
Meng Lian crossed her legs, appearing completely at ease.
"I happen to be planning to get into the Student Council. You can invest in me. Once I'm in, I can become your protective umbrella. You won't have to pay such a huge price like you do now to keep the Student Council off your back."
At the end of the day, the problem was that Lilian's group didn't have anyone inside the Student Council. If Meng Lian became their protector, all problems would be solved.
Ugh, damn politics and connections.
Lilian said nothing, looking at Meng Lian as if she were an idiot.
I may not have much education, but don't try to scam me.
I'm sharp.
Seeing this, Meng Lian knew her leverage wasn't enough. She wasn't in a rush though. She simply smiled.
"I know you can't trust me based on just my word. But you know I'm the Class Monitor, and I have the Charming Heart Constitution. My talent speaks for itself. Even though I'm a new student, I still have a decent chance of getting into the Student Council."
Meng Lian leaned forward slightly, drawing closer to Lilian. Her golden pupils had transformed into golden vertical slits, causing Lilian to momentarily freeze.
"Besides, I also possess the Sky Mirage True Demon Pupils, and I've already joined the Illusion Academy. My odds of entering the Student Council have to be better than most people's, right?"
Sky Mirage True Demon Pupils? What were those?
Lilian snapped back to her senses and pulled away from Meng Lian. Looking at this smiling golden-haired beauty before her, she somehow felt an extremely dangerous sensation.
It was as if the other woman was a golden leopard, and she herself was a little white rabbit that had already been marked as prey.
But what truly caught Lilian's attention was the Illusion Academy. She remembered her older sister once mentioning the Illusion Academy, saying it was full of lunatics and to stay as far away from them as possible.
Lilian began to seriously consider the proposition. She realized that what Meng Lian said actually made sense.
The Charming Heart Constitution. No need to elaborate. It sounded improper, and its usage was improper, but the ceiling on its potential was undeniably high. That alone put her ahead of others.
As for the Sky Mirage True Demon Pupils, Lilian had never heard of them, but she could bet they were something only overpowered cheaters would have. The name alone sounded impressive.
Of course, most importantly, Meng Lian was from the Illusion Academy. Although her older sister described them as a bunch of madmen, she never skimped on praising their strength. Ranked fourth, that was enough to demonstrate the Illusion Academy's power.
Thinking about it this way, investing in Meng Lian was genuinely worth a try. After all, if she really did get into the Student Council and climbed to the upper ranks, they would have a protective umbrella. They could even try expanding into other businesses.
And even if it failed, they wouldn't lose much. This was practically a risk-free venture with enormous potential returns.
At this thought, Lilian couldn't help but imagine the scene of her and her older sister building an underground business empire in the academy, all thanks to Meng Lian's protection. She started giggling foolishly.
Seeing this, Meng Lian knew the hook had been set. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Heh heh. Fish on the line.