QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots

"Chief! Chief Fang! Something's wrong!"

Jiang Jiamian and his group had just stepped out of Fang Jing's office when hurried knocking rattled the heavy door.

"What's wrong? Why are you yelling?"

The man outside was Chen Ping, captain of the Sky team. Fang Jing recognized him immediately. His expression darkened, this was the squad his troublesome nephew, Fang Geng, had joined.

Fang Geng had once begged to join the Gale Squad, the strongest team in City A, but Xiao Jinfeng had turned him away without hesitation, unwilling to make exceptions even for Fang Jing's family. Fang Jing had considered speaking on his nephew's behalf, but politics had stayed his hand. If he pushed and Xiao Jinfeng still refused, it would embarrass him.

"Fang-Fang Geng, something's happened!"

Chen Ping's face was grim. Sweat beaded his forehead as he forced the words out. "He seems to have gone crazy. He keeps kowtowing, muttering 'I was wrong! I was wrong!' At first we thought he'd sober up after a while, but he's still like that."

"What!?" Fang Jing's brows drew together. "What kowtowing? Explain clearly! Where is he?"

"At the entrance…" Chen Ping swallowed, then launched into his explanation.

By the time the group reached the residential building, Fang Jing's aide had already handed them three apartment keys.

"Professor Ling, Mr. and Ms. Jiang, here are the keys. The apartments are next to each other, very close and convenient. You can decide how to divide them among yourselves."

The aide spoke politely, passing the keys over with both hands.

Jiang Jiamian, half-expecting Ling Zhuang to snatch them, acted on instinct. He quickly scooped up all three. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The aide replied with a nod before turning and leaving.

Ling Zhuang: "…"

Was this person truly an idiot?

Keys? With their abilities, did he really think a lock could stop them?

Yet watching Jiang Jiamian clutch the keys so protectively, Ling Zhuang's lips curved in amusement. Cute. Absolutely useless, but… cute.

Jiang Jiamian, noticing the faint smile, suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look. He glared at Ling Zhuang, cheeks hot. "Laugh. Go on, laugh! What's so funny?"

Watching their interaction, Jiang Qing's earlier disappointment toward her brother softened a little. She clapped her hands in mock excitement. "I ship it! I ship it!"

Jiang Jiamian raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "Ship what? Yourself off somewhere?"

Jiang Qing: "..."

Oh no. She'd said the quiet part out loud!

Her slip had drawn attention she hadn't wanted. Xiao Jinfeng and Chen Ran, who lingered nearby, froze mid-step. Chen Ran's eyes flicked toward the trio, then quickly shifted away. He pointed stiffly toward the far end of the corridor. "We live over there. Contact us if you need anything."

But in his chest, a ripple of unease stirred. Was it just his imagination? Or had the relationship between Ling Zhuang and Jiang Jiamian already grown unnervingly close?

They had met at the same time. Traveled the same road. So why did it feel as if they shared a secret language the rest of them couldn't touch? Even Jiang Qing seemed aware of it.

After Xiao Jinfeng and Chen Ran left, Jiang Jiamian sorted through the keys. He handed one to Jiang Qing. "This should be yours. Go on, get some rest."

"Thank you, brother!" Jiang Qing accepted it with a smile, peering at the small number etched into the metal. "Three-zero-four!"

"Good. Off you go." Jiang Jiamian said.

But Jiang Qing hesitated, eyes flicking between him and Ling Zhuang. "What about you, brother?"

A thread of worry pulled at her. She had no illusions, Professor Ling looked calm, but something about him screamed danger.

Still, her brother wasn't the sort to be easily bullied. Surely, he could handle it?

Jiang Jiamian tousled her hair lightly, his tone coaxing. "Don't worry about me, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Jiang Qing pouted. "You're like one or two years older than me at most!"

Despite her protest, her instincts told her staying would only draw fire. She wasn't stupid. The way Professor Ling's eyes sharpened whenever she lingered too close, she knew when to retreat.

She quickly located 304 and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her.

The moment the latch clicked, Ling Zhuang's eyes turned cold. In one swift motion, he seized Jiang Jiamian's wrist, spun him, and pinned him against the neighboring door. His hand closed around the handle. With a faint twist and click, the lock yielded as if it had never existed.

Jiang Jiamian: "…"

Right. Keys are completely useless. Should've guessed.

Ling Zhuang pulled him inside and kicked the door shut. The next instant, Jiang Jiamian's back was pressed to the wooden panel, Ling Zhuang looming close. His gaze sharpened to blades, boring into Jiamian's face.

"What did you do to Jiang Qing?"

Jiang Jiamian blinked. "Nothing?"

What nonsense was this? He had treated her like a sister, nothing more.

"Don't play dumb."

Ling Zhuang's fingers traced the curve of his neck, deceptively gentle, yet carrying the promise of breaking it in an instant. "She had no signs of awakening. How could she suddenly score seventy-five in water ability?"

Jiang Jiamian arched an eyebrow. "Funny. Aren't you the same? No signs of awakening, and yet here you are with that terrifying replication ability that could overturn the world."

Ling Zhuang narrowed his eyes. "You and I both know that's different. Don't try to deflect."

Jiang Jiamian lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. It's simple. She said she was hungry, so I gave her an apple… and a bottle of water."

Ling Zhuang stilled. Understanding dawned. "The water. Special?"

"Exactly." Jiang Jiamian didn't bother hiding it. "Remember that fish soup? I added three drops. That was enough to make you feel refreshed. Jiang Qing drank the whole bottle."

A single bottle of spiritual spring water. Enough to awaken an ordinary person to a seventy-five.

How she wielded it, however, was another matter. That was something only Jiang Jiamian could guide.

He intended to watch her closely. If she proved capable, he would teach her. If not, the power would simply sleep inside her, useless.

"Ha… Haha…"

Ling Zhuang's sudden laughter broke the silence, low at first, then spilling out in rich amusement.

Jiang Jiamian glared. "What's so funny? You nearly scared me half to death!"

Ling Zhuang exhaled slowly, finally releasing his grip. His voice was laced with something Jiang Jiamian couldn't read, relief, curiosity, maybe even obsession. "You truly are remarkable. To think you slipped out of my laboratory. No, to think you became this after leaving. How many secrets are you hiding?"

Jiang Jiamian: "…"

He couldn't follow that. And honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Ling Zhuang continued, eyes glinting. "To create something that grants power to ordinary people… it took me three whole days."

Jiang Jiamian's mind screeched to a halt.

Three days!?

In the original story, Ling Zhuang was supposed to toil for years before achieving this breakthrough. And now he tossed it out like it was nothing?

Deadpan, Jiang Jiamian muttered, "Three days? That's what you call a long time? You really have the audacity to flex about that, Professor?"

Ling Zhuang frowned faintly. "What do you mean by 'flex'?"

Jiang Jiamian coughed into his fist. "Never mind. Spend less time being a creepy workaholic and more time online. You'd get it."

Ling Zhuang: "…"

It wasn't that he never went online. But his browsing was limited to the most critical streams of information. Research, reports, data.

Entertainment? Waste of time.

For him, dissecting the world itself was the greatest pleasure.